The Knights of Olympus
by Lord Lycaon
Summary: One year after Aizen's defeat, Ichigo and his friends meet a very powerful warrior who claims that the Greek myths are all true. Now, Ichigo must help the Olympians defeat the evil forces of the Titans before they can awaken the most powerful monster in history: the Demon of Dread, Typhon.
1. New Kid

He floated through a realm of white light. He couldn't see very far beyond his own hands. Was this a dream? Was it reality? He couldn't really tell; it felt both real and false at the same time. He looked around. Yep, everything was still an empty white space. He sighed.

"Hello?" he called. No response. Louder, he called again. "Hello?" Again, nothing. But after several seconds, as he was considering calling out again, the world slowly turned dark. In the distance, he saw a large, lumbering figure about the size of a skyscraper.

It looked familiar to him. A Menos Grande, perhaps? No. This... thing was much more heavily muscled. And far more intimidating. It seemed to be growling as it inched closer and closer.

"Kill... you... all..." it snarled in a deep, booming voice. It raised one enormous hand. "Kill..." It swung down at him.

"GOOOOOD MORNIIIIIING, ICHIGOOOOO!" Ichigo woke up to the all-too-familiar sound of his father's voice. Before his dad could land a blow, Ichigo slammed his foot into his face. Isshin fell over, holding his half-broken nose. "Great reflexes, son!"

"Seriously, Dad," Ichigo said, mildly annoyed at his father's ignorance. "You've gotta stop trying to wake me up like that! You know it's never going to work! Besides, it's getting old."

"You're calling your father old!" Isshin said in an over-dramatic pose. "That hurts me inside, son! It really does!"

"Whatever," Ichigo said as he scratched his head. "Now... GET THE HELL OUT OF MY ROOM!" He then literally kicked Isshin out of his bedroom. _How can a former Soul Reaper captain possibly be that idiotic?_ he thought to himself.

It had been about a year since Aizen's defeat. Ichigo had lost his Soul Reaper powers that day, but could still see spirits. He did whatever he could to help the wholes, the good spirits, to pass on. He would usually just help them find a Soul Reaper to perform konso on the ghosts, but those spirits were always grateful to him... except for the ones that were sent to hell. Those guys would usually curse his name and say that he had tricked them in some way. But that didn't really bother him.

As he was getting ready to go to school for the day, his mind wandered back to that dream he had had. He usually didn't dream about anything. Sleeping would just be a simple, dark thing that he woke up from. But this one... it shook him.

The monster in that darkness. What could it have been? Could it have been Yammy's released form? But what about the voice? It was far deeper, more monstrous, and seemed to reverberate against itself. Yammy was a loudmouthed baritone, but he at least had some level of humanity in his voice. The monster from Ichigo's dream seemed to growl as it spoke.

Ichigo was actually beginning to get the feeling that that dream was actually something more. It felt more like a vision than anything else. Definitely not a memory.

"Ichigo!" called Yuzu's voice. "Chad, Orihime, and Mizuiro are here! You'd better hurry up!"

"I'll be down in a second!" Ichigo called back. He went over to his window and saw his friends waiting for him. "Just give me a minute, guys!"

"No rush!" Orihime called out in her usual cheerful voice. "But hurry up! We don't want to be late for school!"

Ichigo nodded as he pulled on the shirt for his school uniform. And then...

"Take me with you!" shouted Kon. The little stuffed lion pounced onto Ichigo's head, with over-dramatic tears streaming from his eyes. "Please, Ichigo! I promise I'll be good! I just wanna see the ladies!"

"Hell no, you stupid plushy!" Ichigo yelled with finality. He grabbed Kon and tossed him into a wall. "The last time you came to my school, I spent three weeks in detention for peeping into the girls' locker room!"

"C'mon! Give a guy a break! At least let me cuddle Orihime's magnificent bosom before you go!"

"NO!" Ichigo then started stomping on Kon, who screamed in pain.

Outside, Orihime couldn't help but giggle. "It sounds like Ichigo is giving Kon a rough time again."

"It sure does," Mizuiro agreed. Chad simply grunted in response.

After about ten minutes, Ichigo came out with a piece of toast hanging out of his mouth. "Sorry it took so long, guys. My dad was being annoying again."

"You should be happy that your dad is so enthusiastic all the time," Orihime said with a happy smile. "Personally, I'd love to have a dad like that!"

"Only you would," Ichigo said as he munched his toast. The four of them walked off to school together, as they normally did.

A few houses down the street, on a roof, was a man clad in some sort of armor. He frowned at the sight of Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends.

_That is the boy we have been seeking out for two years?_ He shook his head. _Clearly we have been greatly misled. I sense none of the great power he has been renowned for._ Despite his thoughts, he continued to follow the orange-haired teen and company. His superiors needed Ichigo Kurosaki. And he would complete his mission, no matter what.

Ichigo sat with his head in his hand, looking out the window. Ms. Ochi's class was as boring as ever. He was about ready to fall asleep when Ms. Ochi started tapping the chalkboard with a ruler.

"Attention, class," she said. "Listen up. We have a new student today. And he's a foreign exchange student, so be nice!"

_Exchange student?_ Ichigo thought. He hadn't known that there was a foreign exchange program going on. Maybe Uryu could fill him in later.

"All right, come on in." Ms. Ochi ordered. And in walked a boy of about sixteen-years-old. He had a handsome face that made most of the girls in the room swoon, and long, dark that gave him a sort of "tough guy" look. "Go ahead and introduce yourself."

"Hello," he said in perfect Japanese, without even the slightest trace of an accent. "I'm Perseus Nicodemus, and I'm from Greece. Japanese culture has always intrigued me, and I hope to learn as much about it as I can here. I also hope that I can become good friends with as many of you as possible." A lot of the girls started swooning again as Perseus spoke.

"Thank you, Perseus," Ms. Ochi said with smile. "Now, go ahead and take a seat. There's an empty seat next to Ichigo. Ichigo?"

Ichigo raised his hand nonchalantly. Perseus went over and sat down next to him.

"Hello," Perseus greeted. "You're Ichigo, right?"

"Yeah," Ichigo replied.

"Well, I hope we can become good friends, Ichigo."

"Sure. Whatever."

Perseus raised an eyebrow. "You're not the enthusiastic type, are you?"

"Eh, Ichigo's always like that!" said Keigo, who was eager to introduce himself. He threw hand out to Perseus for a hand shake. "I'm Keigo Asano! Nice to meet you!" Perseus smiled and shook Keigo's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, too."

"Hey! Why don't you join me and Ichigo and the others for lunch? We could show you the ropes so that you can actually survive here at Karakura High!"

"Sure." Perseus answered. "I'd love to."

Ichigo sighed. He could tell that this was going to be a LONG day.

Later, on the roof, Ichigo, his friends, and that new kid, Perseus, were enjoying lunch.

"Wow!" Orihime blurted out gleefully as she tried a bite of Perseus's lunch. "Greek food is amazing!"

"Yes. It is good, isn't it?" Perseus said with that smile that bugged Ichigo a little. "And the food that you prepared for your own lunch is positively ambrosial."

Tatsuki looked at him with a raised eyebrow. _Wow. His taste buds must be made of steel._

"Er... thanks, I guess," Orihime stammered a little. She turned to Uryu and whispered, "What does 'ambrosial' mean?"

"Basically," Uryu said in some astonishment. "He just said that your cooking is superb."

"Oh." She quickly turned back to Perseus. "Thanks for the compliment, Perseus!" Perseus nodded, still smiling warmly.

"By the way, Perseus," Mizuiro said. "You have a pretty interesting name. I guess your parents are big fans of Greek myths." Everyone's ears perked up at that.

"Yes," Perseus said rather reluctantly. "I... suppose you could say that. My parents-"

Before Perseus could finish his sentence, they all felt a presence. A spiritual pressure that, to Ichigo and his friends, could only belong to a Hollow.

_Uh-oh_, they all thought. Orihime stood up and said, "Sorry, Perseus! Me, Uryu, and Chad have to go!"

"That's all right," Perseus said. He stood as well and began to leave. "I have to go as well. I hope I'll to see you guys again." He went to the door and left the group.

When Perseus was gone, Ichigo stood and said, "I'm coming, too."

"What?" said Orihime. "But, Ichigo, you won't be able to fight! What if you get hurt?"

"Orihime's right," said Uryu with his usual stoic mannerism. "You're pretty much nothing more than a hindrance to us without your Soul Reaper powers."

"Don't you trust us, Ichigo?" Chad asked.

"Of course I do," Ichigo said. "I just... I have to help somehow."

"Ichigo," Orihime said with a pleading look. "Please. Stay here. We don't want you getting hurt."

"I do," Uryu said bluntly. Ichigo glared at him. "But I don't want you getting killed."

Ichigo sighed. Like him, all of his friends were each stubborn in their own unique ways. He just couldn't beat them when they all ganged up on him like this. Finally, and reluctantly, he said, "Fine. Just don't get yourselves hurt."

"Don't worry," Chad said. "It's just one hollow. We can take it." And with that, Chad, Uryu, and Orihime ran off to fight the hollow. When they were gone, Ichigo felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Keigo.

"Don't worry Ichigo," he said with a stupid look on his face. "They're all really strong! I'm sure they'll take care of it and be back before you know it! And besides..." His face then actually looked dead serious. "Who knows? Someday, you might just get your powers back. Then you'll be able to fight again."

Ichigo stared at his friend. Normally, Keigo had this habit of saying the stupidest possible things at the stupidest possible times. But right now, for once, he was being serious about something.

"Right," Ichigo said. "I hope so." He then picked up his food tray and started for the door.

"Ichigo, where are you going?" Tatsuki asked.

"I'm going back to the classroom," he replied. "I'll see you there." He shut the door behind him. Then he thought to himself, _If they think I'm going to just sit back, they're wrong. _He dropped his tray into the nearest trash can and sprinted off. He wasn't about to let his friends fight alone.


	2. Of Men and Monsters

Orihime, Uryu, and Chad stood on a rooftop, staring at the source of the spiritual pressure that they had felt. It was not what they were expecting.

"Is that... an Arrancar?" Orihime asked nervously.

The creature before them was human-sized and appeared female. It/she had hair made from a swarm of writhing snakes that hissed hungrily. The snake-haired being wore a death mask over its face, but the trio could just make out a pair of seemingly golden eyes. It also wore a black, Greek-style toga around its body. It suddenly started chuckling.

"Well, well," it said in a raspy, feminine voice. "What do we have here? A pair of handsome young men and an adorable little girl!" She clapped giddily. "Oh, it's been so long since I've added such a fine group of specimens to my collection. Won't you just let me add you?"

"Who are you?" Uryu demanded. He had his bow out and ready to fire.

"Oh, yes. How rude of me. Allow me to introduce myself." She performed a quick, curt bow. She looked back up at them. Beneath her mask, she was smiling insanely. "My name is Medusa. And I shall be your death."

"Medusa?" Uryu questioned. "Impossible. That's just a myth."

"Oh, I'm hurt," said "Medusa" as she took a slightly over-dramatic pose. She then laughed a little. "Perhaps I should give little demonstration to prove my identity." She snapped her fingers. Suddenly, a massive spiritual pressure hit the area, slamming down on Orihime and the others, who nearly collapsed in surprise. Then a garganta opened up above them. And of course, out stepped a Menos Grande.

Medusa waved her hand as if to beckon the behemoth down to her. Instead of coming down, however, the giant Hollow began charging up a cero. Medusa turned to the beast. She removed her mask. The Menos made the unfortunate mistake of looking into Medusa's eyes. The human trio's own eyes widened as the Menos began to turn into solid stone. Medusa laughed evilly as the newly created statue began to crumble apart and faded into nothing.

She put her mask back on and turned back to the group. "Believe me now?"

"That's... that's impossible." Uryu said, absolutely bewildered. "And you summoned that Menos. How?"

"Hollows are little more than monsters," Medusa explained. "They obey only more powerful monsters. Not even the greatest Arrancars are able to defy my orders." She gazed at the shocked looks on the humans' faces. She loved doing this. Humans were her playthings. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Just what are you?" Orihime asked, fear evident in her eyes.

"Does it really matter?" Medusa chuckled. "Well, suffice it to say... I'm your worst nightmare." She shot towards Chad with impossible speed and slammed her foot right into his face, sending him flying into the next building over.

"Chad!" Orihime shouted as she started to run over to him.

"Oh, no, little girl," said Medusa. She suddenly flickered into existence in front of the young redhead. "I'm not done playing here yet!" She immediately leaped up and roundhouse kicked Orihime to the other side of the roof. She then appeared in front of a shocked Uryu. She chuckled at the look in his eye.

"Humans are such wonderful toys," she hissed in a gleeful tone. "The only shame is..." She leaned closer to whisper into his ear. "They break too easily."

Uryu suddenly felt a pain in his midsection. He looked down saw... her middle and index fingers shoved into his stomach. She yanked her hand out and let Uryu fall to the ground as he clutched his stomach in pain.

"Why... are you... here?" Uryu asked between heavy breaths. Medusa chuckled cruelly.

"Why so curious?" she replied with a snide smirk. "It doesn't really matter. Not for you anyway. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to kill you now." She frowned under her mask, as if she were disappointed about something. "It seems a waste, really. To kill such a handsome young man. And I can sense that you have a unique power. Oh, well." She then smiled again. "I guess I can deal with it. There are other fish in the sea after all."

She raised her clawed hand. Uryu glared at her, thinking, _Am I really going to die here? Forgive me, Grandfather. I've failed you._ But just as Medusa was about to strike him down…

"Back off!" shouted a voice. Suddenly, a foot slammed into the side of Medusa's head, breaking her mask off and sending her sliding to the other side of the building. Where she once stood, Ichigo was standing defiantly, his usual scowl plastered on his face. "I don't know who the hell you think you are, but if you hurt my friends, then you'll have to deal with me!"

Medusa stood slowly, wiping a tiny bit of blood from her lip. She had a shockingly beautiful face, which was ruined by the snakes in her hair. She chuckled in mock amusement.

"You've got a pretty good kick, little boy," she chuckled. "And you're not too bad-looking either. Strong, gutsy, handsome. You're just my type!"

"Sorry, lady," Ichigo smirked in defiance. "But I'm not really into women with snakes for hair. Let alone women who attack the people close to me."

"Aww, how noble," Medusa said in false hurt. She then suddenly vanished and reappeared behind Ichigo. "But it's also really, really stupid to deny me." She hit him in his back with a snakelike tail that appeared seemingly out of nowhere and sent him right off the building. Ichigo desperately grasped the ledge, barely holding himself up.

_Dammit!_ he thought miserably. _She's so fast! And where the hell did that tail come from?_ Medusa sauntered on over to Ichigo's ledge, an arrogant smile plastered on her face.

"Do you really think you can beat me, boy?" she asked, still smiling. "The only person who's ever defeated me isn't here to help you. And you're about to die. Now just accept your-" She was suddenly interrupted when they all (Orihime and Chad, who had just woken up, included) felt an enormous level of spiritual pressure. Medusa turned to the source, and her eyes widened in shock.

"Y-you," she muttered nervously. Before her stood a man clad from head to toe in bronze, Greek battle armor. On his left arm, he carried a heavily polished shield that looked almost like a mirror. In his right hand, he held a three-foot-long double-edged sword that shone like silver. His face was mostly covered up by the front of his helmet, which looked like a Spartan helmet.

"Medusa," he said in a voice that somewhat familiar to the four high school students. "It's been a while, hasn't it? I see the years haven't been very nice to you."

"You," Medusa repeated. Her terrified expression then contorted into one of pure rage. "You! Bastard! I haven't forgotten what you've done to me! I'll kill you for what you did!"

The armored man simply shrugged. "I guess you do have a right to be pissed off at me. Decapitation is quite painful."

_D-decapitation?_ Orihime thought in shock. She looked at Medusa. _But… if he decapitated her, then how is she still alive? How is that even possible?_ She was willing to admit that she had seen things that had seemed impossible before, but surviving having your head cut off was WAY over the line of believability.

"I'll never forget your accursed name," Medusa snarled. "You, the son of Zeus."

_Zeus?_ Uryu thought. _Wait. In the myth, Medusa was killed by a man named…_ Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. He remembered back to the school's roof, before they felt Medusa's spiritual pressure.

_ "By the way, Perseus," Mizuiro said. "You have a pretty interesting name. I guess your parents are big fans of Greek myths." Everyone's ears perked up at that._

_ "Yes," Perseus said rather reluctantly. "I... suppose you could say that."_

_ Could he be…?_ Uryu thought again.

"The son of the king," Medusa hissed. The armored man lifted his helmet off his head, revealing… "Perseus, the Prince of Lightning."

Perseus grinned confidently. "Miss me?"


	3. Hero of Old

Everyone looked on in surprise. The armored man was none other than Perseus Nicodemus, the foreign exchange student. The boy that pretty much every girl in their class (except maybe Chizuru, for obvious reasons) fell in love with almost instantly. He stood tall, wearing his Greek armor with pride and determination.

"You know, Medusa," he started. "I figured you'd learned your lesson the last time I killed you. You can't go around killing people. It makes the rest of us legendary beings look bad."

"How dare you mock me?" Medusa screeched indignantly. "I'll kill you!" She sprinted straight towards Perseus with murder in her eyes. He simply dodged out the way, not even bothering to counter.

Ichigo managed to pull himself halfway back onto the roof, and he watched in awe as Perseus and Medusa went at it. Perseus was staying calm and collected, even though his opponent was earnestly trying to kill him. Medusa was simply swinging and slashing with her clawed hands savagely, without any apparent plan.

"Wow," he muttered. _Why isn't Perseus fighting back though? Is waiting for her to tire herself out?_ Suddenly, Medusa shrieked. She was obviously outraged at the fact that Perseus was mostly just toying with her.

"Just hold still and die already!" she screamed.

"You didn't say please," Perseus said mockingly. And all of sudden, he slashed her, cutting her from her left shoulder, to her right hip.

Once again, Medusa's eyes widened in shock. She fell over onto her knees, gasping for breath.

"You lose again, Medusa," Perseus said quietly. "Now accept your death… and stay dead."

"No…" she muttered. "I… won't… die… not again." She panted heavily. **"I'LL KILL YOU, PERSEUS!"**

She was suddenly engulfed in a dark sphere of black fog. Perseus backed up carefully.

"Crap," he muttered. "This can't be good."

"What's happening?" asked Chad as he walked over cautiously.

"What's with that black fog?" Orihime added.

"She's going to into her… much uglier true form." Perseus answered.

"True form?" Ichigo asked.

"Is she some a kind of Arrancar?" asked the bleeding Uryu.

"Hardly," Perseus said quietly.

Suddenly, the black sphere exploded. Dark smoke covered the entire rooftop. A deep hissing sound was heard. The wind then picked up and blew away the dust.

"It's been so long since I've used my full power," hissed the voice of Medusa. "I'm so happy!" Perseus's eyes narrowed as everyone else's widened. Medusa's true form was that of a serpentine creature with blood red scales and the tail of a rattlesnake. Medusa's head had retained its snake-filled hair, but her face had become beyond hideous. And her eyes…

"Don't look into her eyes!" Perseus ordered. Everyone's eyes immediately looked away from Medusa's hideous form. "Leave this to me."

"But, Perseus," Orihime said with her eyes shut tight. "What if you need help?"

The Greek hero smirked. "Don't worry. I can take care of myself. Besides," He held up his sword so that it pointed directly at Medusa's head. "I've beaten this nutcase before. And I'm always up for a good, old fashioned snake hunt."

"You won't beat me this time, Perseus!" Medusa declared adamantly. "I am far more powerful now than I was so many years ago!"

"Care to put that to the test, Good-Lookin'?" Perseus mocked. Medusa shrieked and charged straight towards the hero, who suddenly vanished in a flicker of movement.

A shocked Medusa twisted her head to try to find her nemesis. "Where did you go, coward!?" she screamed.

"'Coward?'" said Perseus's voice from behind her. She felt the cold metal of his blade on her neck. "Now that's just hurtful." He pressed the blade closer to her throat. "Let me share a secret with you, Medusa." He leaned in towards her ear. "You will never beat me without conviction." And with that, a quiet "thump" was heard. "You can all open your eyes now."

Ichigo and his friends obeyed, and when they saw Medusa's dead corpse, Ichigo nearly did a double-take. "You killed her that fast?" he asked, dumbfounded.

Perseus didn't answer, but looked at Ichigo with an analytical stare. Finally, he said, "I can't believe this."

"Believe what?" Orihime asked curiously.

"I was sent to Karakura Town to find a certain person," Perseus replied. He turned back to Ichigo. "And I guess Ichigo here is the guy I'm looking for."

"Me?" Ichigo asked in surprise. "Why were you looking for me?"

"Because of your power," Perseus said. Ichigo was about to reply, but the Greek raised a hand. "Listen. I was sent to find a fearless, orange-haired warrior named Kurosaki. I finally found you just this morning."

"This morning?" Uryu asked skeptically. "But to enroll in our school would normally take at least a week. How did you enroll so quickly?"

"Let's just say that I pulled some strings," Perseus said bluntly. "Ichigo. My father, Zeus, had a vision. And when the king of the gods has a vision, it's always bad news."

"Wait," Chad interrupted. "So… you really are the son of a Greek god?"

"Yes. Now shut up, Goliath." Perseus said in annoyance. Again, he turned back to Ichigo. "My father has said that you were a part of his vision. He said that you were fighting a behemoth of a monster, though he couldn't see who was winning. He did, however, say that you were beaten, bruised, scarred, bleeding profusely, and probably missing your left arm."

Ichigo's eye twitched. "Sounds like a ton of fun." he said sarcastically. "Any other good news?"

"You and your friends are going to get to visit Olympus, the realm of the gods themselves."

"Which would be where exactly?"

"Oh, it's not in this world."

"The Soul Society then?" Uryu asked.

"Nope."

"Don't tell me it's in Hueco Mundo." Orihime said fearfully, dreading the possibility of having to go back to that terrible place.

"Not even close."

"Then where else could it be?" Chad inquired.

Perseus grinned. "It's in a universe all its own!" he exclaimed proudly.


	4. Return of Bunny and Snake-Monkey

At the Urahara Shop, Ichigo and the others were waiting for Tessai to wake up Kisuke so that they could talk to him. The group was in silence, with the four Japanese teens eyeing the young Greek hero carefully and curiously. The silence was finally broken when Kisuke arrived in his usual outfit. He stifled a predictable yawn and sat down at the table in the middle of the room. He examined Perseus with a little bit of interest, then decided to get to business.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company, all? I can tell you guys didn't just com for tea."

"Actually," Perseus said in a tone that was reserved for business. "We're here so that you can open a gate to Olympus for us."

"Olympus?" Kisuke asked in genuine surprise. Everyone nodded. "Man, it's been a long time since anyone's made that request."

"You've sent someone there before?" Uryu asked curiously.

"Of course," the shopkeeper then looked thoughtful for a moment. "Who was it again? Theseus? Achilles? Elvis Presley?" He then shrugged, giving up on remembering. "Anyway, I can send you to Olympus, but the Senkaimon for that trip is one-way. You'll have to get help from the Olympians if you want to get back home."

"How long will it take?" Perseus asked.

"Not too long. A few days maybe? It's been a while though, so I'll probably need about a week. That okay?"

"Of course. In the meantime, I guess I'll be staying here, if that's okay with you."

"That's fine." Kisuke then stood up and walked over to the door to his shop. "Guess I'll open up while I'm awake." Just as he opened the door, however, a fist knocked him right on his nose, nearly breaking it. He shouted in pain and covered his bleeding nostrils, and looked to see who had assaulted him.

"Oh, man," said Renji Abarai, who scratch the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that Kisuke."

"Renji, you idiot," said Rukia Kuchiki, who stood next to him, face-palming in embarrassment. She knelt over Kisuke and apologized for her red-haired friend's carelessness, then noticed her old friends and a new face sitting at Kisuke's tea table. "Ichigo! Orihime!"

""Hi, Rukia! Hey, Renji!" Orihime said excitedly. She got up and ran over to her friends with her usual joyful smile. "It's so long! How have you guys been?"

"And why are you here?" Ichigo asked in a straightforward tone. "I'm guessing you're not just here to visit old friends."

"A massive surge of spiritual pressure was detected in this area, but it disappeared almost as soon as it was found," Renji answered. "We were sent to investigate because of our familiarity with the city." He raised an eyebrow at the one teenager who was still sitting at the table while eyeing the two newcomers warily. "Who's the new guy?"

"That's Perseus!" Orihime said as she turned to look at the exchange student. "He's the son of a Greek god!"

"Not just _a_ Greek god, Orihime," Perseus stated as he stood up and walked over to the two Soul Reapers. "_The_ Greek god. I'm the son of the Olympian King, Lord Zeus. Pleasure to meet you." He held out his hand with a friendly smile. Rukia and Renji just stared with hilarious expressions, completely dumbfounded. Then they both burst out laughing.

"Son of a god, my ass!" Renji exclaimed between fits of laughter. "If you're a demigod, then I must be Head Captain Yamamoto!"

"Master Yamamoto is actually an old friend of my father's," Perseus stated as he picked his ear with his pinky. "The old man taught me everything I know about how to wield a sword. I even picked up a few tricks." He then pointed two fingers at Renji. "Hado Number 4! Byakurai!" Almost instantly, a bolt of white lightning blasted Renji, sending the lieutenant flying out into the front yard of the Urahara Shop. He twitched a bit in pain, his face contorted into a comical expression of pain and shock.

"Could we please just get back to business before my shop gets torn down?" said Kisuke as Tessai finished wrapping gauze around his boss's face. "Listen, Perseus, I'll need about a week to prepare the Senkaimon. Until then, you're welcome to stay here."

"Wait, so what Perseus said was actually true?" Rukia asked in shock. Kisuke simply nodded in response. Suddenly, Rukia performed an apologetic bow in front of Perseus. "Please forgive Renji and me! We just thought that you were joking!"

"It's alright, really," Perseus said as he scratched the back of his head out of both confusion and embarrassment. "You can stand up now. I hate it when people bow to me." Rukia nodded, then went over to tend to Renji's injuries.

When he finally regained the ability to speak coherently, he sat up and glared at Perseus. "I think I just found someone that I hate more than Ichigo." Rukia gave a small laugh at that.

"Considering how much you fight with Ichigo, that's kind of hard to believe," Rukia said with an amused grin. She then looked at Ichigo and the others. "One of us will have to report this to the Head Captain."

"I'll go," Renji said simply. Rukia gave him a slight look of protest. "Don't argue. I'm going. Besides, the more space that I put between me and that Perseus guy, the better."

Rukia gave a nod, finished healing his last little burn scar, then went over to join the rest of her friends. Renji watched as she chatted with them, occasionally sharing a witty remark with that new guy. He saw her show him one of her drawings, and then hitting him out of nowhere when he said that he had seen better drawings done by Helen Keller with her hands tied behind her back. He chuckled at the scene. Maybe that guy wasn't really any different from the rest of them after all.

-o-

After the situation had been explained by Perseus, Renji said his goodbyes and opened a Senkaimon. Soon enough, he was back in the Seireitei. He immediately went to give his report to the Head Captain, who was in his office with Lieutenant Chosokabe at his side, as usual. Renji gave a quick bow, exchanged brief greetings, and then gave his report, including the part where Ichigo was apparently foreseen by the king of the gods fighting a giant monster. Yamamoto took all the information in silently, nodding every now and then to show that he understood.

"It seems you're at it again, Zeus," he sighed out quietly.

"Excuse me, sir?" Renji asked.

"It's nothing, Lieutenant Abarai. You are dismissed." Renji nodded and then left the Head Captain and his lieutenant. Yamamoto sighed again, more audibly this time. "Chojiro, get me some aspirin from Captain Unohana. I have a splitting headache."

"Yes, sir," Chojiro said with a bow. He quickly left to get the medicine, while Yamamoto looked out towards the balcony in his office that overlooked the Seireitei.

Something was bothering him. Why would his old friend Zeus send Perseus to collect Ichigo Kurosaki? Why not the messenger god Hermes? It just didn't add up, no matter how he looked at it. He sighed once again. "I'm getting too old for this, my friend."

-o-

Just beyond a large, dark corridor, a lone man stood on a balcony overlooking an expanse of charred, desolate land. The terrain was similar to the upper desert world of Hueco Mundo, but it was rockier, more menacing, and there were monsters of all shapes and sizes wandering the area. This was the man's kingdom: Othrys, the nemesis of Olympus.

"My Lord," said an armored warrior who was kneeling behind the man. "We have just received word that Medusa has been slain. She failed in her mission."

"Is that so, Hyperion?" the master said in deep, powerful voice. "She may have been killed, but she has not failed me." The armored man, Hyperion, looked up at his master, confused. "I can sense it. The boy has become aware of his destiny. Soon, he will face our ultimatum. And soon, Olympus will fall."

Author's Note: Sorry about this, guys. I don't plan on leaving a whole lot of notes. But I kind left a little bit of a plothole: Orihime never healed Uryu and Chad after Medusa kicked their asses :P I geuss I just forgot to put that part in. I guess I'll have to work on that eventually, but I doubt I will. Again, sorry about this.

Author's Note: Sorry about this, guys. I don't plan putting in a whole lot of notes in my stories, but I just noticed that I left a bit of a plothole: Orihime never healed Chad and Uryu after Medusa kicked their asses. Guess I forgot to put that in. Sorry.


	5. On to Olympus

The week passed on fairly normally, save for the fact that there was now a legendary Greek hero in Ichigo's class. Perseus was actually a decent enough guy to hang out with. Anybody who could take down a super powered snake-woman was okay in his book, at least. As Ichigo got his things ready to go home, and then go to the Urahara Shop, he was approached by Orihime, who seemed somewhat excited at getting to see this so-called "Olympus."

"You ready to go, Ichigo?" she asked.

"Just about," Ichigo replied in his use usual bored tone. "I just have to tell my dad and sisters that I'll be gone for a while." He slung his backpack over his shoulder. "Tell the others I'll be at Kisuke's when I'm done taking care of things at home."

"Okay." She watched as he left. She couldn't help but blush and shake her head when she realized her vision was traveling to just below his waist. _Bad Orihime! Bad girl! Don't do things like that!_ She repeated that mantra multiple times through her mind.

_Stupid woman!_ shouted the voice of Tsubaki in her head. _Just tell that idiot how you feel about him and be done with it already!_

_That's not really how it works, Tsubaki,_ said the gentler voice of Shuno. _Think of the pressure it would put on the both of them!_

_Bah! It's nothing that these idiots couldn't figure out on their own!_ With that, the other four voices of Baigon, Lily, Ayame, and Hinagiku broke out into argument with one another.

Orihime sighed depressingly. She never told anyone this, but ever since her powers had first awakened, she had been able to speak to the six little sprites that represented her power called Shunshunrikka. Their bickering was among the few things that really irritated her to the where she would actually say something like…

_All of you shut the hell up! You're giving me a headache! AGAIN!_ With that, the arguing stopped, though she could still hear Tsubaki grumbling to himself. This was the only downside to having six little spirits living in one's soul.

-o-

"You're going away again, Ichigo?" Yuzu asked somewhat sadly. Her brother had just come back from school, and had just said that he would be leaving for a couple of weeks. He simply nodded as he ate his small TV dinner.

"I promise I'll be back as soon as possible," he said after swallowing a mouthful of food. "It's something I've got to take care of."

"How long do you think you'll be gone?" asked Karin. She figured that his sudden leaving had to have something to do with the Soul Society, or something equally crazy. It would be just like him to try to do things he couldn't.

"Like I said, a couple of weeks. A month at the most. Don't worry, I'll be fine." Suddenly, Isshin started crying out anime tears.

"My son!" he shouted proudly. "One trip to become a man just wasn't enough for you! You seek to double the level of your masculinity! I couldn't be prouder!" He almost immediately received a kick right into his face.

"Will you just shut up?" Ichigo shouted. "You make it sound weird when you say it like that!" He kicked his father again for good measure before calming down. "I've got to get going. I'll see you all when I come back. Bye." With that, he walked out the door and headed off.

"I hope he'll be okay," Yuzu said worriedly. "He still has that habit of getting into crazy fights."

"You have no idea," Karin stated bluntly. When her sister gave her a confused look, she had to remind herself that Yuzu didn't know as much about Ichigo's ghost-seeing "gift" as she did. "I'm sure he'll be alright. He's been through a whole lot of crap before, so I'm sure he'll be able handle whatever comes his way."

"I guess you're right," Yuzu said in agreement. She would be happy if Ichigo just came back safely.

-o-

When he got to the Urahara Shop, he of course expected to see a few familiar faces. Orihime, Chad, Uryu, Rukia and Renji went without saying. Yoruichi might also show up if she deemed it necessary for her to tag along. Ichigo, however, did not expect to see three Soul Reaper captains with their lieutenants.

"What the?" he said intelligently. "Kenpachi? Byakuya? Toshiro? What are you guys doing here?"

"That's Captain Hitsugaya, you fool," Toshiro said angrily. "As to why we're here, though, we were sent by the Head Captain to assist you."

Flashback

The captains' meeting hall was full once again, with all available captains standing at the ready. All of them were curious as to why Head Captain Yamamoto had called them all here, even the stoic Byakuya Kuchiki. It was a relatively peaceful time in the Soul Society as a whole. Sure Hollows still raised hell wherever they went, but they had returned to being mostly minor nuisances.

"Captains," Yamamoto bellowed in his usual commanding tone. "I have just received some troubling information from Lieutenant Abarai of Squad 6."

_Renji?_ Byakuya thought, his curiosity piqued. "What information did he give you?"

"Apparently, the secret is now out regarding…" He paused momentarily. "Olympus." As he expected, there was an uproar that even Shunsui got into.

"But Olympus is a secret shared only among captains!" the Captain of Squad 8 shouted (yes, shouted). "How did a lieutenant learn of its existence?"

"Who cares how he got the info?" Kenpachi said with an excited grin. "If you ask me, this just means we have an excuse to duke it out with a god or two!"

"You idiot!" said Soi Fon with obvious distaste in Kenpachi's words. "We may be called death gods by some, but Olympians are true gods! They literally can't be killed!"

"I wonder if they would be willing to 'donate' a test subject?" Mayuri mumbled with a gleeful smile. "I've always wanted dissect a god!"

"Silence!" Yamamoto boomed in frustration. Everybody in the room stopped talking and turned to their leader. "Lieutenant Abarai received his intel from Perseus, the son of Zeus. He and his enemy, the gorgon Medusa, were the source of the unusual spiritual pressure detected in Karakura Town earlier this week. Ichigo Kurosaki is apparently tied into some Olympian prophecy, and is to be led to Olympus soon. Therefore, I am sending three captains and their lieutenants to accompany Kurosaki and his allies. Are there any volunteers?"

"You don't have to ask me," Kenpachi said with a grin of battle-lust. "I going one way or another!"

"I will go as well," Byakuya said calmly. "I want to ensure that Ichigo Kurosaki does do anything to sully the name of the 13 Court Guard Squads."

"I wish to go as well," said Toshiro. "I would like to learn about this 'Olympus' and possibly help to forge an alliance between them and the Soul Society."

Yamamoto nodded. "Very well. We have our volunteers. Inform your lieutenants of your mission and make preparations immediately. You are to move out by tomorrow afternoon."

End Flashback

"Oh, I get it," Ichigo nodded in understanding. "So you guys are coming along as backup?"

"That's about right," Rangiku said in a depressed voice. "To tell the truth, I really didn't want come, but Captain Hitsugaya made!"

"If I hadn't forced you to, you would've spent your weekend exchanging booty calls with Shuhei."

"What? No I wasn't! I swear!" Rangiku did her best to deny it, but her embarrassed blush betrayed the truth.

"Hey, Ichi!" called Yachiru, who was sitting on Kenpachi's shoulders. "It's been a while! Are you ready to fight Kenny again?"

Ichigo sweat dropped. "You do realize that I don't have my Soul Reaper powers anymore, right? It wouldn't even be exercise for him."

"Yeah, Yachiru," Kenpachi said with a smile that, from him, seemed reassuring. "Besides, I'm sure we'll see plenty of action at Olympus!"

"Enough of these formalities," Byakuya said impatiently, which was surprising coming from him. "We must leave soon. We mustn't keep our guide waiting." Everyone nodded in agreement and headed into Kisuke Urahara's sweets shop.

-o-

Down in the store's cavernous basement, everyone waited for Kisuke to finish up the Senkaimon. As he worked, everyone passed the time in their own ways: Rukia was sharing her latest drawings with Byakuya, who nodded in approval at the… unique forms of art, while Yachiru kept asking Perseus million-mile-an-hour questions regarding Olympus, himself, and whether or not he would fight Kenpachi. Uryu was conversing quietly with Toshiro, one of the few people he could have an actual intelligent conversation with, as Ichigo and Renji started arguing over something that nobody else was paying attention to. Finally, Kisuke finished his work and whistled to get everybody's attention.

"All right, people, it's ready to go!" he announced. He slammed his cane onto the ground, and the Senkaimon appeared. When everyone was gathered together, he nodded and continued. "Get ready, folks. It's gonna be a bit of rough trip." With that, he did the incantation, and the Senkaimon opened, revealing a sparkling gold portal. "Get going!"

And everyone rushed in, leaving the human world behind, and heading for the Land of the Gods…


	6. The King of the Gods

The trip itself to Olympus had been almost instantaneous. It was the actual arrival that gave them the most trouble. The instant appearance of a new location disoriented them and made them nauseous. Even Perma-Frown Byakuya was unsteady and stumbling a little. Perseus laughed at their reactions and told them how amateurish they all were.

When everyone was finally stable again, he spoke. "Welcome everyone. This is the Kingdom of Olympus." He turned around, motioning with his arm as if to tell them all to truly observe this new area. To say that it was beautiful beyond words would have been the understatement of the millennium.

The streets and buildings were constructed of pure white marble, with golden statues lining the roads with exact duplicates on either side. All the buildings and houses were designed like Ancient Greek temples, with the roofs made of gleaming bronze. A little ways ahead of the group was a fountain that poured out constant streams of clear gold liquid, which a boy and a girl who both looked about in their teens were drinking from, laughing as they talked.

"This place," Renji said in pure awe. "It's… it's…"

"It's incredible," Orihime whispered in amazement, finishing for the red-haired Soul Reaper. "It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen!"

"Not bad, huh?" Perseus said with pride. "My father and Lady Athena made the design for this entire city. Lord Hephaestus perfected and constructed it. It's literally the work of gods." He turned back to his party. "Now then we should-"

"Is there a place where Kenny can fight?" Yachiru immediately blurted out. She didn't care about the architecture of some city. She just wanted to see Kenny fight new people.

"Er, yeah," Perseus said in mild surprise. He was a little taken aback by the fact that a little girl would have so little interest in a city of divine beauty. "I guess you could go to the Coliseum near the middle of the city."

"There's a Coliseum?" Kenpachi asked with a grin.

-o-

Blood-stained weapons crashed against dented shields. People screamed in pain as body parts were either chopped off or eaten. Monsters screamed with delight as they tore into each other and ripped each other apart. The crowd howled with excitement at the site of battle.

"This place…" Kenpachi said as he trembled. He suddenly started crying tears of joy. "This place is paradise!" Perseus looked at the captain as if he had grown a second head. This man was clearly insane (welcome to the party, Perseus).

"I'm glad you like it," Perseus said with a nervous tone. "I guess I'll leave you to it then. Come on, everyone. We've got to get to the Olympian Palace soon, or my dad'll be upset. And trust me, you do _not_ want to see that." When everyone else had left, Yachiru started bouncing excitedly.

"Come on, Kenny! They've got a whole bunch of people to you to fight!" Kenpachi wiped his eyes with his sleeve and smiled insanely.

"Yeah! Let's do it!" He leaped into the arena and laughed madly as he joined the fight.

-o-

If it was at all possible, the Olympian Palace was even more magnificent than the rest of the city as a whole. It was crafted of gold and silver, with each column designed intricately with polished platinum. Near the roof, there was an exquisite carving depicting the gods and their children, all apparently in the middle of some kind of party.

"Here we are, folks," Perseus said as he beamed at the large, temple-like building in front of him. "Well, let's go." He headed towards the front gate, where a pair of guards opened the enormous doors to the palace. He led Ichigo and his friends into the building pointing out little details as they walked down the corridor.

The inside of the palace was just as breathtaking as the outside. Golden statues lined either side of the hall, with paintings of gorgeous men and women accompanying them. They were simply speechless at the sights.

"By the way, Perseus," Uryu asked, when their guide finished telling them about a statue of the hero Bellerophon slaying the evil Chimera with a lead-tipped spear. "What is it the Olympians do here exactly?"

"Oh, that's easy. This is where they meet four times a year for council meetings."

"Four times a year?" Byakuya asked with a raised eyebrow. "Why so few meetings? Does Zeus simply not worry about what his brethren are doing?"

"My father's a good bit more… paranoid than that," Perseus answered. "He always makes sure to keep track of his subordinates. He's always been concerned that someone would try to overthrow him or something. As for the four meetings a year, it's because of the solstices and equinoxes."

"Solstices and equinoxes?" Rukia inquired. She then lightly hit her palm with the bottom of her fist. "Oh! You mean like the beginning of the seasons, right?"

Perseus nodded. "The solstices and equinoxes act as a sort point in time when the power of the gods is distributed evenly. They're the only times of the year when the gods can actually agree on anything. Zeus can still call meetings on other dates, but they're all far less agreeable. The last time somebody disagreed with my old man, the result was World War II."

"They sound pleasant," Toshiro stated bluntly.

"You might want to be less candid when we meet with the gods themselves," Perseus warned with an expression even more serious than Ichigo and Byakuya combined. "They tend be a little… temperamental. If you say the wrong thing, they might end up disintegrating you." Awkward silence. They came across a massive double doorway. There were giant guards on either side of the door.

"Master Perseus," one said as they both knelt down. Even kneeling down, they were still twice Perseus's height. "Lord Zeus is expecting you. The Council of Twelve has already assembled to meet with you."

"Thanks, Phil," Perseus said as he walked past the guard. "Come on, guys. It's not wise to keep twelve of the most powerful beings in the universe waiting."

-o-

The hall of the gods was more like a massive throne room than a place for meetings. At the far end of the hall, there were two thrones, with a bearded man wearing gleaming silver armor on the right, and a dark-haired woman in gold-colored toga on the left. On either side of the hall were ten more thrones, with women on the left, and men on the right. Perseus led the group to the center of the hall, in front of a large hearth that was burning in golden flames, and knelt down in front of the pair at the end of the hall.

"Lord Zeus," he said, his voice in the most respectful tone possible. "I have returned with a group of warriors. One of which is the man for whom we have sought for two years."

"Excellent work, my son," said the bearded man, now identified as the King of the Gods himself, Zeus. "You may rise." As Perseus got back on his feet, Zeus stood up from his throne and approached Ichigo, who instinctively bowed in respect. Zeus chuckled. "You need not bow to me, boy. Raise your head." Ichigo promptly obliged. "I am Zeus, ruler of this kingdom, Olympus. And your name?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki." Zeus then eyed the others in Ichigo's group.

"And they are?"

"Byakuya Kuchiki, Captain of Soul Reaper Squad 6."

"Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of Soul Reaper Squad 6."

"Uryu Ishida, Quincy of Karakura Town."

"Yasutora Sado, a friend of Ichigo's."

"Orihime Inoue, and I'm also Ichigo's friend."

"Rukia Kuchiki, of Soul Reaper Squad 13."

"Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of Squad 10."

"Rangiku Matsumoto, Lieutenant of Squad 10."

When the introductions were complete, Zeus nodded in acknowledgement. Five Soul Reapers and a group of humans who, from what he could sense, all possessed unique powers. This would definitely aid Olympus in the coming events.

"It is good that Shigekuni has sent some of his captains and lieutenants to aid us," he said with a serious look.

"And why exactly is that?" Byakuya said with his usual calm. Deep down, however, he was like a little kid staring down the throat of some childish monster. Being in front of twelve all-powerful deities tend to do that to a person.

"There is a war coming," Zeus stated with the utmost sureness. "And it will decide the fate of not just Olympus, but of the entire universe as well."

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Ichigo asked. He didn't really like where this was going.

Zeus turned to Ichigo with a dark look and said, "If Olympus falls, it will bring about an absolute apocalypse. Nothing will survive."


	7. Please Train Me

Ichigo was lying on the bed in the room that had been given to him. He was thinking about what Zeus had told him. There was a war coming soon. And it would determine the universe's survival or destruction. And of course, he was caught right in the middle of it.

Flashback

"An apocalypse?" Ichigo asked in shock.

"Yes," Zeus said grimly.

"How would the destruction of Olympus cause the apocalypse?" Byakuya asked in obvious skepticism. "One world's destruction shouldn't cause a collapse of those proportions." Of to the right, someone cleared their throat.

"Lord Zeus," said a woman wearing a female version of Greek battle armor. "Permission to speak, please."

"Granted, Athena."

"Thank you," the woman, Athena, said. She then turned to Byakuya. "To answer your question, Captain Kuchiki, Olympus is actually the source of all life."

"What?" Toshiro asked in surprise. "How is that possible?"

"Simple. The world cannot exist without gods to sustain it. If we are destroyed, and Olympus is torn down, all life will follow suit. Spiritual power will fade, and souls will soon vanish into nonexistence." Athena paused, giving everyone time to let that sink in.

Finally, Rukia asked, "Who would be willing to destroy the gods if the universe would end because of it?"

"Kronos," Zeus said with adamant certainty. When Rukia asked who Kronos was, he sighed grimly. "Kronos is the king of our sworn enemies, the Titans. He is one of the three most powerful beings in the universe, which includes myself and Kronos's father, Ouranus. He is also my father."

"Your own father wants to destroy you?" Rangiku said, shocked that anybody could be that coldhearted. "Why would he want to do that?"

"The man is a tyrant," said a man who held a silver trident in his hand. "We overthrew him because he abused his power and broke several of the ancient Divine Laws that even we immortals are bound to. Now he wants revenge, and to take back the throne that he believes belongs to him and him alone."

"And just how the hell are we supposed to help you guys against someone as powerful as that?" Ichigo asked disbelievingly. "In case you haven't noticed, none of us wield godlike strength."

Zeus simply looked at Ichigo with an analytical stare, making the orange-haired teen feel nervous. "You are correct in the sense that you do not have power. As such, I have come to a decision. You, Ichigo Kurosaki, will train under the tutelage of the finest instructor Olympus can provide."

"Who would that be?"

"Chiron. He has trained many great warriors, from Heracles the Strong to Theseus, slayer of the Minotaur, the Bane of Athens. He will be the perfect instructor for you."

"Where can I find him?" Ichigo asked.

"He will find you, boy," Zeus assured him. "In the meantime, you and your comrades will stay here in the palace. You will each be given your own rooms. Perseus will show you the way."

"Of course, Father," Perseus said with a nod. He turned to leave and motioned for the others, who followed him out.

End Flashback

He couldn't quite understand it. He had lost all of his powers a year ago. Now a group of gods were depending on him to save the universe from a madman who is quite literally the great-granddaddy of all things evil. Go figure.

He sat up when he heard a knock on his door. He then heard Orihime's voice call his name. In response, he said, "You can come in." She opened his door and walked into his room. She seemed upset about something. "What's wrong?"

"Ichigo," she said quietly. There was concern in her voice. "I'm worried. This Kronos guy. From what Zeus said, he's incredibly powerful. And I can't help but wonder… what if…" She trailed off, but she knew she didn't need to finish. Ichigo looked at her with concern of his own in his dark brown eyes.

"Orihime," he said with unusual tenderness that he reserved specifically for situations like this. "Don't worry. We've all been through things that seemed impossible to overcome. Remember when Ulquiorra killed me?"

"I wish I didn't," she muttered sadly. Ichigo mentally kicked himself for bringing up that memory. He was only trying to prove his point.

"I'm sorry, Orihime. I shouldn't have mentioned that. But my point is, no matter what comes our way, we'll all find a way to get past it."

"Right," she said with uncertainty. Ichigo reached out and took hold of her shoulder. She looked up at him in some level of surprise.

"I promise, Orihime," he said with a determined look. "Everything will work out in the end. That's a promise that I intend to keep, no matter what."

Orihime nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Ichigo. I feel a little better now." She turned and went to leave the room. "I think I'll go to bed soon. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Ichigo replied as Orihime left his room.

As she closed his bedroom door behind her, she leaned back on it, thinking about all that had happened so far. Things had become rather stressful, she thought. She still couldn't believe that the Greek legends were actually true, even though she was staying in a divine palace in the Olympian city, with gods, ancient heroes, and other powerful beings dwelling just outside her own bedroom.

She thought about Ichigo's promise. She believed him with all her heart, and was ready to help him fulfill it by any means necessary. She then put on a determined face and went down the hallway, going in the opposite direction of her room.

-o-

Athena had just finished cataloguing everything in the palace library, a job she thoroughly enjoyed. She knew that humans would likely call such hobbies a sign of a major case of obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD. She didn't really care, though. She loved working with books, and that was all that mattered to her.

As she was walking down the hall heading for her bedchamber, she felt a small (at least to her) presence of spiritual energy, and turned to see the source. She saw the young, red-haired girl that had arrived with Kurosaki with a determined and hopeful expression on her face.

"Oh, hello," Athena greeted the girl. "Orihime, right?" The girl nodded. "Well then, is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes," Orihime said nervously. "I have a favor to ask of you, ma'am." She then went into a deep bow of respect. "Please train me!"

Athena looked at the girl with her eyes wide in surprise. Had she heard her right? "I'm sorry?"

"You're the Goddess of Wisdom and Battle, right?" Orihime asked, worried that she might have gotten the wrong person. Athena gave a simple nod of confirmation. "Please. I want to become stronger to help my friends."

Athena eyed Orihime in an analytical fashion that only the Goddess of Wisdom could utilize. The girl seemed earnest enough. And she couldn't see any dark thoughts in her eyes. This girl was completely innocent, only ever having watched all-out battles, never having actually fought a particularly powerful foe. Athena's eyes narrowed.

"Very well," Athena said in the same tone that a teacher would. Orihime looked up in surprise. "I will train you." Orihime's face broke out into a wide grin of sheer gratitude. "I must warn you, however: training under a goddess can be stressful. I won't go easy on you."

"I don't want it to be easy," Orihime said with certainty. "I want to become as strong as I can!"

"Then you should go to bed. You'll need your rest. Meet me at the palace's entrance in the morning. We'll go to my private training ground from there."

"Right! Thank you, Athena!" Orihime shouted excitedly as she ran down the hall and headed for her room. Athena simply shook her head and chuckled. Tomorrow was definitely going to be interesting.

-o-

Kenpachi sat on the ground, muttering to himself miserably. Yachiru looked at the pile of rubble and debris that was once the Olympian Coliseum. Kenny had taken off his eye patch after a twenty-foot-tall Cyclops had knocked him into a wall with a war club. After that… well, one could easily guess what had happened.

"That Coliseum was the best thing that ever happened to me," Kenpachi said sadly. "And now it's gone. Now what?"

"Wanna go find Ichi and see if he got his powers back?" Yachiru suggested with an excited grin. Seeing Kenny level the Coliseum had only made her even more excited than before. Kenpachi shrugged at her suggestion.

"That's better than just sitting around here doing nothing," he said as he stood up and slung his zanpakuto over his shoulder.

"All right! Let's go!" Yachiru shouted happily as she jumped onto Kenpachi's back and pointed in a seemingly random direction. "That way!" And with that, their wild goose chase began.

-o-

Author's Note: Hey, sorry. I just wanted to let you guys know that I'll likely change the title to Warriors of Olympus. It just sounds better to me. What do you think, though? I'm not setting a poll. I'm just curious. Do you prefer Guardian of Olympus or Warriors of Olympus? Leave a review stating your opinion please.


	8. Ichigo's Foodgasm

Author's Note: Hey, guys. Lord Lycaon here with two bits of info for you. First off, yes, this is a filler chapter. Sorry if you don't like that, but I promise I'll get back to the actual story next chapter. This just popped into my head, and simply _had_ to share it.

Now, regarding my previous A/N, I have actually decided on a third title that I came up with the other night. Starting next chapter, this story will be called "The Knights of Olympus." It just sound better to me than "Guardian of Olympus." I'm sorry if you preferred the other two titles that I was mulling over, but hey, it's my story.

With that out of the way, please enjoy this strange little thought that came out of my strange little mind.

-o-

Ichigo sat up and stretched as the morning poured in through the window. At first, he was confused by his surroundings, but then remembered where he was. He climbed out of bed and stifled a yawn as he stretched his back. He checked the closet for a set of fresh clothes, and was surprised to see that inside of it looked exactly like his closet at home, complete with all his usual shirts, pants, etc.

He quickly got dressed and was about to leave when he noticed a note pinned to his door. He took and read it through:

_Ichigo Kurosaki,_

_When you finish breakfast, wait for me at the palace gates. I have your entire training program ready for you. Be prepared._

_Best regards,_

_Chiron_

_I guess Zeus wasn't kidding when he said Chiron would find me,_ Ichigo thought as tossed the note onto his bed and left to find a place to get some breakfast.

-o-

He was surprised to find that everyone was already up and eating, Perseus and four unfamiliar faces included. Apparently, though, all there was to eat was what looked like brownies made of gold.

"Good morning, Ichigo!" Orihime said happily as she waved to him. She was apparently happier than she was last night.

"Morning," he replied sleepily. He sat down in an empty spot between Orihime and Chad and looked questioningly at the golden brownies. "What are these?"

"That's ambrosia!" bellowed one of the new guys, a large, muscled man with a huge, cocky grin. "It's the food of the gods, my friend! The most delicious thing you'll ever eat in your life, no matter how long you live!"

Ichigo gave the man a confused look. "Who are you supposed to be?"

Perseus face-palmed. "Sorry! I forgot you haven't met yet." He motioned to the large, loudmouthed man. "This is Heracles."

"A pleasure to meet you, kid!" Heracles said with a wholehearted grin.

"Uh… yeah," Ichigo said dumbly. He didn't quite know what to make of this apparent bodybuilder. "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki."

"And these other three gentlemen," Perseus said as he continued the introductions. "Are Theseus, Odysseus, and Achilles."

"Hey," said Theseus, a dark-eyed, silver-haired man apparently in his early twenties. "Good to meet you."

"Pleasure," said the blue-eyed, brown-haired Odysseus as he ate a piece of ambrosia. "But not think that I will make friends with any of you."

_What a jerk,_ the non-Greeks all thought to themselves.

"It's good to meet you all!" said the last man with an arrogant smile. He had jet black hair and silver eyes. "And before you ask, yes, I am _that_ Achilles! The greatest warrior who ever lived!"

Odysseus snorted at that. "The only reason you're the supposed 'greatest warrior ever' is because you can only be killed when someone gets you in your-"

"Shut up!" Achilles yelled indignantly. "Don't go spilling out everybody's weaknesses like that, you jackass!"

"Achilles?" Orihime asked curiously. "You mean you're the guy with heel thing?" Achilles face-planted onto the ground. Even Byakuya sweat-dropped at the man's reaction.

"Please don't mention that," Achilles said pleadingly. "It's embarrassing enough as it is." He then sat back down in his seat, mumbling something about some guy named Paris and the god Apollo.

Ichigo eventually managed to get his attention back onto the ambrosia. The little gold brownies at least _smelled_ alright. But he was a bit doubtful about it. He could hear Heracles laughing then.

"Go on, Ichigo! Eat up! It won't kill you… maybe." He muttered the last part to himself. Ichigo's face fell at the comment.

"What do you mean 'maybe'?" he asked seriously.

"Well, when a regular human eats ambrosia…" Heracles hesitated a little.

"They often combust from the sheer power of the food." Odysseus said bluntly. Rangiku, who was just about to eat a piece of ambrosia, dropped the golden square in her hand and had a hilariously terrified look on her face.

Theseus laughed at the female Soul Reaper's reaction. "Don't worry your pretty, little head. Soul Reapers and humans with a decent enough level of spiritual power are safe from that little bit of kick." He ate a piece of the godly food, as if to prove his point, and tossed a piece to Ichigo. "Go ahead, buddy. It's not as bad as it looks. Don't be shy."

Ichigo eyed the little square of food in front of him suspiciously. Finally, he picked it up and took a bite. The effect was almost instant. His eyes went wide when as he chewed his small meal.

The flavor was unbelievably, indescribably incredible. Like all the best foods in the world all rolled into one. His mouth watered, unintentionally letting some drool escape his mouth. He only knew one thing at this point. He needed more. Now.

He started shoveling more and more of the squares into his mouth, only stopping to chew and swallow. Everyone's eyes widened in utter shock at Ichigo's sudden change in character. Gone was his usual unapproachable appearance, replaced by an expression of pure bliss, completely ignorant of the world.

When he finished, the table was completely empty. Nobody else got anything. Ichigo sat patting his stomach with a contented smile on his face. When he noticed the looks that everyone was giving him, he asked, "What? Do I have something on my face?"

"No," Uryu said as he held back a laugh. "You're good."

"Okay then," Ichigo said as he got up. "I gotta go. See you guys later." And with that, he left as though nothing had happened.

"Wow," Orihime said in amazement. "I had no idea Ichigo could eat so much food in such a short amount of time." The others could only nod in agreement.

The Greek heroes, however, focused on Ichigo for totally different reason. Regardless of whether he had some spiritual power, the former Substitute Soul Reaper should never have been able to eat that much ambrosia without exploding into a burst of golden fire. This boy must have been truly special indeed.


	9. Training Begins, and a Spider Appears

A/N: Last chapter, I received a review from a friend saying that theey Odysseus would be a "cool god." Just so the same mistake isn't repeated, I want to clear this up: Odysseus is _not_ a god. He was the Greek hero who sailed home to Greece after the Trojan War. Poseidon, the sea god, was angry with Odysseus when the hero claimed that he had conquered Troy on his own, without help from the gods. The sea god then cursed Odysseus, causing him to lose his way back home for arpund twenty years. Sorry if this annoys you, but I just wanted to clear that up. Enjoy the chapter.

-o-

Ichigo and Orihime were both waiting at the entrance to the Olympian Palace for their respective trainers. Orihime had told Ichigo who was going to teaching her, and needless to say, he was just a _little_ bit shocked. He could hardly believe that someone as fragile as Orihime was going to receive one-on-one instruction from the Goddess of Wisdom and Battle herself.

"Hey, Ichigo?" Orihime asked to get his attention for a moment. "Do you know who this Chiron guy who's going to train you is yet?"

"Not a clue," Ichigo replied in a slightly annoyed tone. "All he said in his note was to wait here for him and to 'prepare myself.'" He put air quotes around the last part of his sentence. "How exactly am I supposed to prepare myself if I have no idea what's coming?"

"I don't know," Orihime sighed. She didn't have a clue what Athena was going to do for her own training either. As usual, millions of possibilities appeared in her mind… and then were promptly replaced by totally random thoughts, like winning a mushroom-eating contest, or becoming an Olympic (go figure) diver who accidentally jumps into a pool of lava, but miraculously survived.

They heard a sound, then, that sounded like a horse treading on stone. When they turned to see the horse, their jaws practically body slammed the ground. Before them was a dark-furred horse, but there was a minor difference from what they were expecting. Instead of a horse's head, the torso of a man sprouted out of its neck.

The human part of the bizarre beast had a long, combed beard on his chin, complete with sideburns. There were grey streaks in his hair, and coupled with his wrinkled, but still energetic-looking, face, he looked to be in about his mid- to late-forties. He flashed them a smile with a set of perfectly white teeth.

"You must be the newcomers," he said as gave a respectful bow of greeting. When Ichigo and Orihime returned his bow, he continued. "We are well met. I am Chiron, the official trainer of new warriors, hand chosen by Lord Zeus."

If at all possible, Ichigo's jaw fell even further. "_You're_ Chiron?" Ichigo asked in utter disbelief. Chiron simply nodded in response. "But you-! You're a-! I… what the hell are you?"

"I am a centaur, and also the leader of my unfortunately unruly race. It is pleasure to finally meet you, Ichigo Kurosaki." He turned his attention to Orihime. "And you, miss…?"

"Oh," Orihime gasped as she regained her consciousness after realizing that Ichigo's new teacher was a horse-man. "I'm Orihime Inoue. It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Chiron."

Chiron gave a nod of acknowledgement, and then focused back on Ichigo. "Now then, Kurosaki, I suggest we get going. I wish to start your training immediately."

"Okay. You're the boss." As Chiron turned to leave Ichigo waved goodbye to Orihime. "I'll see you later, Orihime. Good luck training with Athena."

"Good luck to you, too, Ichigo!" Orihime said as she waved happily.

-o-

Chiron had led him to a decently large clearing in a forest filled trees that had a bunch of golden apples hanging from the branches. Seriously, what is with these Greeks and gold?

"This is where we shall train," Chiron said as he stopped in the center of the clearing. "Now then, the first thing that I want you to do is to try and force me to the ground."

"What?"

"Did I stutter? All you have to do is force me to the ground. If you can do that, then we will immediately move onto sword training. Does that sound good to you?"

"You do realize that you're part horse, right?" Ichigo asked, thinking that his teacher might have forgotten that little key fact. "I don't think I would be able to force you to do anything."

Chiron put a hand on his chin, as if in thought. "Yes, you're probably right about that." Ichigo sweat-dropped at the centaur's comment. "Regardless, that is your task. Get me to the ground by noon. It is as simple as that." Ichigo nodded and got ready to do as he was told. "However… if you cannot do that, then I will no longer train you."

"What!?" Ichigo shouted in shock. "But Zeus said-"

"I am well aware of Lord Zeus's wishes," Chiron interrupted. "But I am the one who chooses my students. This is a test I give to all my potential pupils. You will be no different, Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ichigo clenched his fists angrily. This guy was going to drop him if he couldn't knock him down? That was completely unfair! He gritted his teeth to keep from screaming at the centaur. When he regained his cool, he charged.

-o-

Orihime leaned against the wall, humming a little tune to herself. Ichigo had left with Chiron about twenty minutes ago. She looked around, waiting for Athena.

"I wonder where she is," she thought out loud.

_She probably realized how hopeless you are and ditched you,_ said Tsubaki's voice.

_Tsubaki!_ Shuno shouted in Orihime's defense. _Don't say things like that! Orihime is our master, and you should respect her!_

_Master, my inch-wide ass!_ Tsubaki retaliated. Once again, all six sprites started arguing. And once more, Orihime couldn't take it.

"Shut up!" she screamed out loud.

"Did I say something to upset you?" said a woman's voice off to Orihime's left. She turned to see her new teacher.

"Oh! Athena! No, it's not you. Just daydreaming I guess. I tend to do that. Sorry."

_You'd better be!_ Tsubaki hollered. He promptly received a "Shut up!" from within Orihime's mind.

"There's nothing wrong with that," Athena assured with an amused smirk. "Just so long as you don't do it while we're training. Now come along. I have a… unique training exercise in mind for you." She had a mischievous smile on her face with that last sentence.

"Right! Lead the way!" Orihime said excitedly. She couldn't, however, help feeling just a little bit frightened by that little grin Athena had given her. What did she mean by "unique training exercise?"

-o-

At the Dark Kingdom, Othrys, the Titan Lord Kronos sat in his throne, plotting. He was awaiting the arrival of one of his numerous minions. A seamstress-turned-demon who was perpetually hungry for revenge against the one who turned her into a monster. He didn't have to wait long.

She entered the throne room, stepping carefully. She knew that even the wrong _movement_ in front of her master was often punishable by death. When she was ten feet from Kronos's throne, she knelt down.

Kronos eyed her as a slaughterer would look at a cow. She wore a black dress that had a white spider web design on the torso. On her forehead was a tattoo with the same design, but in black ink. Her eyes were just as cold as her master's and she was just as ready kill someone.

"You called for me, my Lord?" she asked eagerly. She was always ready to please him.

"Yes," Kronos said in his deep, powerful voice. "You are my best spy. Therefore, I require you to go to Olympus. There you will find the one who will attempt to stop us. You are to watch him. I want know any exploitable weaknesses of his. Remain discrete."

"Of course. Your bidding shall be done, Lord Kronos."

"Good. Now go." The former seamstress nodded and got up to leave. "Arachne." She turned back to her master at the sound of her name. "You may not attack anyone. And that includes _her_."

The seamstress Arachne scowled in a way that she hoped Kronos wouldn't notice. She had hoped that could at least antagonize the object of her animosity. She just nodded and said, "Of course, my Lord." With that, she exited the throne room. Oh, well. She could wait until Kronos was ready to go through with his own plot for vengeance.


	10. Not All Are Good

Ichigo huffed. His current predicament was a tad embarrassing. He hoped nobody could see him as Chiron's horse body was lying on top of him while the centaur read a copy of Sun Tzu's _The Art of War_. He looked up at the sky. He wasn't used to using the sun as a clock, but he could still tell that it was around 11:00 AM. He was running out of time.

"You know, you can always give up," Chiron suggested, not looking away from his book as he turned a page. "It could do wonders for your back."

"Shut up," Ichigo muttered indignantly. He was desperately trying to think of a way to get the horse-man off of him, so that he could put him down in the dirt. "Just get off of me."

"That would not be a very effective teaching method."

"And lying on top of me is?" Ichigo shouted at his so-called teacher. Chiron turned and gave Ichigo an annoyed glare.

"You have no idea how long I've been doing this, do you? I have taught countless heroes over countless centuries." The centaur's reaction caught Ichigo off guard. He seemed to get pretty touchy when someone doubted his training methods. This gave him an idea.

"That so?" Ichigo inquired with an unnoticeable smirk. "I bet they only became great because you let them go."

"You be quiet, boy. None of my students would have been half as great as they are without my teachings."

"Do you think Heracles or Theseus would agree with you?"

"Of course they would!" Chiron shouted indignantly. "Without me, they would never have become such renowned warriors!"

"Just how about fighting do you know anyway?"

"I have _forgotten_ more about battle than you could ever even _begin_ to hope to learn, boy!"

"I guess that comes with age, doesn't it?" That did it. Chiron got up off of Ichigo, dropping his book in the process, and fumed at the orange-haired teen.

"How dare you insult me like that!" he shouted, clearly outraged at Ichigo's insolence.

"It worked, didn't it?" Ichigo asked cockily. Before Chiron could ask what he meant, Ichigo charged again, then, learning from his past mistake of trying to simply overpower the centaur, performed a sweep kick at Chiron's forelegs. The horse-man yelped in surprise as his legs were no longer making contact with the ground. The centaur fell forward, and Ichigo took advantage of that. He ran over to Chiron's left side and pushed the unbalanced trainer of heroes onto the ground. "How's that for you?" the former Soul Reaper said with a cocky smirk.

When Chiron realized what had just happened, he couldn't help but chuckle at himself. "Curse my damnable pride." With some effort, he managed to pick himself up off the ground and dusted himself off. "That was quite clever, Kurosaki. It's not every day someone overpowers me by first outsmarting me."

"So," Ichigo said, still wearing that smirk. "When do I get my sword?"

"Tomorrow," Chiron replied. "Today was merely for the test. Meet me here tomorrow morning after breakfast, and we will continue then. I will have your new sword then."

Ichigo nodded. "I guess I'll see you then." With that, Ichigo went back to the Olympian City. When he was outside Chiron's field of vision, he put his hands on his back and stretched it, making a small popping noise. Chiron was right about one thing: giving up probably would have been better for his back.

-o-

Orihime was panting heavily. Athena wasn't kidding when she said she wouldn't take it easy on her. Her whole body ached as she stood slouched over with her hands on her knees. She looked back at the deathtrap of an obstacle course that Athena had set up in her private training grounds. How she survived a field of swinging axe blades, giant buzz saws, pitfalls with sharpened stakes, and high-powered flamethrowers, she'll never know. Then again, Athena had saved her a few times.

"Three hours, forty-three minutes, and seventeen seconds," Athena said with that teacher's tone of hers. "Not too bad for a human. Most mortals would've given up immediately after they saw the rabid lions and poison-coated pendulums."

"Well," Orihime said between heavy breaths. She had a determined look in her eyes. "I'd already made up my mind. I won't give up, no matter what you throw at me!"

Athena smiled at her. "Good. Now then, since we have a good grasp on your physical ability, which is pretty low, let's move on to the next section."

"Wait, you're going to make me go through the obstacle course again?"

"We'll go through it again tomorrow," Athena answered with a mischievous grin that made Orihime shudder. "Until then, we'll start training with-"

There was a sudden burst of spiritual pressure that caused Orihime to fall to her knees in shock. The pressure was _huge_! She looked around, trying to find the source of this frightening presence. She suddenly heard sadistic laughter behind her.

"Your new pet seems a little surprised!" boomed a man wearing what looked like the kind of outfit a biker would wear. It reminded Orihime of Grimmjow's uniform, but was black, and completely sleeveless (it looked as though the sleeves had been ripped off). His open jacket revealed a heavily muscled torso riddled with battle scars. "You should probably just go ahead get rid of her while you have the chance!"

"You be quiet, Ares," Athena said calmly, though her voice sounded rather venomous. "Why are you here? You know full well that this is _my_ private training area. You are not welcome."

"Oh, come on! Don't be so hateful! I just wanted to see your new student." He looked at Orihime with an evil smile that made her very bones quake in fear. That look in his fiery red eyes was one of the cruelest and most evil she had ever seen. Even Aizen's eyes paled in comparison. "She's actually kind of cute, you know. Mind if I take her for a spin?" That made Orihime's eyes widen in fear.

"Leave, Ares," Athena said with open hostility. Ares just shrugged.

"Fine. I'll humor you, Goddess of Wisdom."

"Goddess of Wisdom _and_ Battle," Athena corrected him. Ares simply grunted as he turned and left. When he was gone, she turned her attention to her redheaded pupil and knelt in front of the girl. "Are you alright, Orihime?"

"Y-yes," Orihime said in a trembling voice. "Who was that? His spiritual pressure was massive!"

"That was Ares, the God of War," Athena said with distaste. "He's the only other Olympian that I openly despise."

"You hate him? But why? He's like you, isn't he? A god?"

Athena shook her head at the girl's innocence. One could easily mistake it for ignorance. "Orihime. You'll soon learn that not all gods are genuinely good. Ares is a prime example. As the God of War, he lives only for violence and chaos. Very few of the gods even like to admit that he's one of our kind."

Orihime looked in the direction that Ares had left in. She prayed that Athena was exaggerating. But she doubted that she was.


	11. Love and Beauty

A/N: Hey, guys. I've noticed that really haven't been giving any Bleach characters any screen time, except for Ichigo and Orihime. So this chapter, which is mostly filler, will focus primarily on Byakuya. Despite being filler, however, this is actually somewhat important to the story. Enjoy.

-o-

The Olympian Library was truly a sight to behold. It every book one could imagine, and in every possible language, even languages that don't even exist in the real world. It was essentially a bookworm's paradise.

Byakuya Kuchiki sitting at a table, reading several books that he had found in Japanese. He was currently reading a story called _The Adventures of Tom Sawyer_, written by Mark Twain. Tom seemed to be the kind of kid that Byakuya could easily hate, but he was glued to the story. Who knew America had such fascinating tales?

He was so wrapped up in his book that he didn't notice the presence behind him until somebody tapped his shoulder with an "Excuse me?" He turned to see something that made his (mental) jaw drop.

Before him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his centuries of life. She had long, blonde hair braided into a trio of ponytails, two of which hung over rather… generous chest. She wore a beautiful, pure white toga, which brought out the glittering blue in her eyes. Though, to him, nobody could match up to Hisana this woman came shockingly close to actually making him _forget _about his late wife, which he mentally punished himself for.

"Can I help you, miss?" he asked calmly.

"Oh, I was just wondering if you were done with this!" the woman smiled while holding up a book with the title _Romeo & Juliet_. She then hugged the book firmly on her breasts and put on a happy, albeit lovey-dovey, look. Byakuya subconsciously wished that he was that book. "It's my personal most favorite book ever!"

"You may if you wish," Byakuya said as he tried to once again focus on his own book. "I haven't read it yet, and I doubt I'll get to it soon."

"Thank you!" The woman then sat down in the chair right next to the Soul Reaper captain, who mentally cursed whatever deity, Japanese or Greek, for creating what modern humans would call "jiggle physics."

The two sat together, reading in silence. Suddenly, the woman put her book down and made an "o" with her mouth. "I'm really sorry! I forgot to introduce myself!" She then to pointed herself with a happy smile. "I'm Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty. It's a pleasure to meet you! What's your name?"

"Byakuya Kuchiki," Byakuya responded. "Captain of Soul Reaper Squad 6." He studied the woman, Aphrodite, with an unusual curiosity. "Forgive me, Lady Aphrodite, but you do not look at all like what I would expect a goddess to be."

Aphrodite crossed her arms and huffed. Before Byakuya could apologize for possibly insulting her appearance, she said, "Don't call me 'Lady.' It makes me feel old. I know I'm an immortal goddess and everything, and that I've been alive for a good few millennia, but that doesn't give anyone the right to call me old!"

Byakuya looked at her, taken aback by her reaction. "F-forgive me. I did not mean any disrespect. If anything, I was trying to _show_ you respect."

"It's alright, Byakuya!" she said as she switched back to that innocent smile that made Byakuya come dangerously close to _actually blushing._

He studied the goddess again, and said, "I mean no disrespect, but you do not seem the type of woman who spend her time reading books."

Aphrodite shrugged with a sigh. "I don't read very often, but when I do, it's usually romance novels, or other things like that. It's kind of bad habit now."

"I don't mind," Byakuya said. He blushed when he realized that he had used one of rare contractions. "It seems to me to be more like a hobby than a bad habit."

"Thanks for understanding, Byakuya," she said with a slight blush on her perfectly tanned cheeks. She looked as though she wanted to say something, but was interrupted before she could.

"Hey, babe!" shouted a loud, rude voice. Byakuya saw that the voice belonged to a tall, muscular man that looked as though he were ready to punch someone. "Why are you wasting your time here in Athena's dump of a library? Get over here!"

"A-alright, Ares," Aphrodite said with her head hanging in shame. "I'll be with you in a min-"

"You'll get over here now, bitch!" Ares said with obvious fury. "Or do you want me to give you that special treatment again?"

"N-no," she said as she stood up with her book in her hands. When she approached Ares, he slapped her hard across her cheek.

"That's what you get for disobedience, you whore!" Ares yelled at her furiously. "Now come on! We're going to my room."

"No," Byakuya said. He had seen enough. When Ares gave him an angry look, he said, "She will not go anywhere with a man like you. Now let her go."

"Byakuya…" Aphrodite said in amazement. The other Olympians knew of her plight, but no one ever did anything about it, thinking the situation would resolve itself. Now, a mere mortal that she had only just met was standing up for her. Talk about irony.

"Just who the hell do you think you are, you little pest?" Ares asked in outrage.

"Captain of Soul Reaper Squad 6, Byakuya Kuchiki. And I do not care if you are a god or not. No man should ever lay his hand on a woman the way you did just now. It is an unforgivable and unthinkable act."

"You shut up, mortal," Ares said with voice filled with venom. "I am Ares! God of War! What right does a bug like you have to judge the way I do things?"

"You are correct. I have no room to judge," Byakuya agreed. His face hardened into a look of pure contempt for this so-called god. "But I cannot just sit by and watch as you harm this innocent woman."

"Innocent?" Ares asked. He let out a horrible laugh, as though he had just been told the funniest joke in the world. "You think she's _innocent_? Do you have any idea how many guys this bitch has slept with over the centuries? Too many to count! She's a fucking whore!" Aphrodite hung her head in shame at this.

Byakuya gave Aphrodite an analytical look. She figured he would eventually just give up let Ares take her.

"That does not matter to me." The Goddess of Love and Beauty looked up at this. "Regardless of how many men she has been with, she still deserves far better than you."

"Byakuya…" she said quietly. He gave her his full attention. "It's okay. You don't have to do this." Byakuya was about to speak, but she stopped him. "Let's go, Ares. I'll apologize to you with that thing I do with my tongue for you."

Ares grinned greedily at this. "Damn right, you will! Let's go!" With that, he started walking away, with Aphrodite following him. When they were gone, Byakuya just couldn't help but stare in shock.

After a minute, he sat back down in his seat. He had tried to focus on his book again, but it impossible. His thoughts kept drifting back to the goddess he had just met.

_She doesn't deserve what she gets from Ares,_ he thought with a scowl. He then swore upon his pride as a Kuchiki that he would save her from that bastard. If not for her sake, then for his own. His pride now depended on it.


	12. The Only One Capable

Zeus paced in throne room, considering everything that was going on. It had been three days since Ichigo Kurosaki and Orihime Inoue had begun their training under Chiron and Athena respectively. Kurosaki was already a natural swordsman, and Inoue actually had a knack for strategy, which was surprising, given the girl's personality.

His wife, Hera, watched him with concern. She had seen him stressed before, but never like this. He seemed like he was ready to completely lose it at the first sign of trouble.

"Damn it all," Zeus muttered under his breath. "That bastard brother of mine should contacted us by now!"

"Please, my love," Hera said in a soothing tone. "Don't fret. He _is_ the Lord of the Underworld, after all. He's often even busier than you, considering that there are more dead than living."

"Still, he should have contacted us earlier! You were there when we all made that oath, Hera! We swore that if Kronos ever showed his revolting presence again, we would stand together to oppose him! He knows full that that bastard has returned!" Zeus stopped pacing and sighed furiously. "When does he plan to contact us?"

Just then, from the golden flames that burned within the hearth in the center of the room, a woman stepped forth. She wore a snow white toga and had golden hair, and eyes that seemed to glow with warmth. She said, "He is trying to do so now, Lord Zeus, through my flames."

"He is?" Zeus asked. "Then let him speak, Hestia!" The woman, Hestia, nodded and vanished in a small burst of golden fire. Then, the flames of the hearth turned pitch black. A pair of almost demonic red eyes could be seen in the fire.

"Brother Zeus," said a calm, raspy voice. It was like the voice of the dead. "It has been some time. Well over two hundred years, I believe."

Zeus glared at the dark flames before him. This particular god's presence always set people on edge. Even him. He approached the flames calmly and spoke.

"Hello, Hades."

-o-

Ichigo panted as he dodged yet another blow from Chiron. The centaur was wielding a large battle axe against his student's three-foot double-edged sword. It was the type of sword that the orange-haired teen wasn't used to (he was much more used to his nearly six-foot long zanpakuto Zangetsu).

It turned out that Chiron's teaching methods were actually perfect Ichigo. It was fast-paced and kept his constant attention.

Chiron made another swing with his axe that Ichigo jumped over. He countered with a swing of his sword, aiming for Chiron's chest. The centaur quickly stepped back, dodging the blade as Ichigo landed back on the ground and swung upwards, aiming to get Chiron in the face.

Chiron dodged again and swung his axe downwards. Ichigo sidestepped the blow and threw a punch at Chiron's face. The centaur didn't react fast enough, and the surprise blow landed. Chiron staggered back and rubbed his jaw where the fist had made contact.

"That was a good move, Kurosaki," he praised his pupil, who smirked. "But do not think that it will work again."

"I guess we'll just have to see about that, won't we?" Ichigo said as he went back into a fighting stance.

Chiron chuckled at the boy's eagerness. He prepared axe in a ready stance. "Whenever you're ready, boy." Ichigo smirked again and charged at his teacher.

-o-

Orihime was enjoying a nice lunch that Athena had prepared for their break. The Goddess of Wisdom and Battle was also a surprisingly good cook. The food was amazing!

Orihime looked around. Athena had said that she was going to pick something up from a god named Hephaestus. She had been gone for a while now.

_Should I go look for her?_ Orihime asked herself. She looked up at the sky. In addition to some combat practice and lecturing about the importance of strategy, Athena had also taught her how to tell time from the position of the sun in the sky and shadows on the ground. The goddess had only been gone a few minutes from what she could tell.

"I'm back!" called Athena's voice. Orihime turned to see her teacher waving to her, and she waved back. "Sorry. Hephaestus had just finished making this for me." She held up an object wrapped up in a bright red cloth that was tied closed with a gold-colored string.

"What is it?" Orihime asked as she curiously observed the object.

"It's yours, Orihime," Athena said, handing the object to the teenage girl.

"What?"

"I asked Hephaestus to forge this specifically for you. Take it."

Orihime was, needless to say, _very_ surprised. She was actually receiving a gift from a goddess! She reluctantly took the gift from Athena's hands. It felt as light as a feather. She undid the string that kept the cloth on it, and then unwrapped the cloth. Her eyes widened when she saw that the object now in her hands was a one-and-a-half foot long Greek short sword.

"W-what the?" Orihime stammered. "Why are you giving me a sword?"

"Your only attack is a ranged technique that can be rendered useless if the opponent is strong enough. And you can't expect your enemy to always stay at a range from you. This is for close-quarters combat, and can be used in conjunction with the techniques already at your disposal."

"Can it really do that? Is Hephaestus really that good of a craftsman?"

Athena shrugged. "Well, he _is_ the God of the Forge. It only makes sense that he can easily craft weapons such as that. He even crafts Lord Zeus's lightning spears."

Orihime simply stared at the sword in her hands. It really did feel as though it were made specifically for her and her alone. It was comfortable in her hands, and felt lighter than air.

"Now then," Athena said. She reached into the air, and short sword of her own appeared out of nothing. "Get ready. I'm about to teach you how to use it."

Orihime was still studying her weapon. She then nodded and got into a ready stance. She was ready to learn how to master this literally goddess-given gift.

-o-

"And that is our current situation," Zeus said as he finished his explanation to Hades. "So, brother. Will you aid us?"

Hades was silent. To Zeus, that was even worse than a straight "no." Hades had always been a bit of a wild card in the past. He was completely unpredictable. He would support one side that suited his desires, and then completely turn sides and have his original allies wiped out. That's how it happened in World War II at least.

"I will take time to consider all that you have told me, Little Brother," Hades said with that impersonal tone of his. "I will speak with you when I have come to a decision." Zeus nodded. He could live that. The fact that Hades would at least consider helping them was a good thing.

The black flames soon regained their golden luster, and the red eyes vanished. Hestia soon reappeared, looking exhausted and a little worn.

"I absolutely hate it when he speaks through my hearth," she said with a look of disdain. The Goddess of the Hearth and Home hated it when _anyone_, regardless of rank or stature, used _her_ fires for anything other than keeping themselves warm.

"I know, sister," Zeus said with a hand on Hestia's shoulder. "But he is one of our most powerful allies. We will undoubtedly need him in the upcoming war."

Hestia nodded. She understood all of this, but that didn't mean she couldn't still hate the Lord of the Underworld. She quickly vanished in a small burst of fire and returned to her hearth.

"Zeus," Hera called her king's name. "I have been meaning to ask you something, but have been unable to until now."

"Yes, my queen?"

"Why do you not tell that boy what the Titans are really after?" Zeus froze at this.

"I did not want our only hope for salvation joining the Titans to save his own hide," he answered in shame. He didn't like admitting that he was distrusting of others, even though everybody and their grandmother knew it. "And besides…" He turned face his wife with a serious expression. "I am the only one capable of defeating Typhon."


	13. My Name Is

Kronos stood upon his balcony once again, observing his kingdom. He chuckled to himself as he saw Cyclops tear the head off of a hellhound. He loved watching monsters battle each other. They were weak and pathetic when compared to him, but they were at least fun to watch. He turned when he the sound of armor clanking on stone.

"My Lord," said Hyperion as he knelt before his master. "The resurrection is almost complete. But the necromancers claim that they need a little more of your power."

"Very well," Kronos said as he walked past the lesser Titan. "Let us go and greet the newest member of our army, shall we?"

"Of course, Lord Kronos." The headed down for the resurrection chamber, where their newest ally would soon be reborn. And in return, he would never betray them.

-o-

Rukia hummed a tune as she walked through the streets of the Olympian City. Passers-by would often wave at her, or give her a curious glance, to which she would respond with a wave of her own. Apparently, many Olympians had never seen a Soul Reaper before, and some were eager to meet her, which she didn't mind. She loved meeting new people and making new friends.

"YOU LITTLE BRAT!" she someone screaming as a figure ran towards her. The small figure was a young boy who couldn't have been more than twelve, and he was running from an angry-looking man who was covered in pink paint.

"You'll never catch me, you old fart!" the boy shouted as he ran towards Rukia. The Soul Reaper simply held out her hand and grabbed the collar of the boy's shirt, stopping him. "What the? Let me go!" But the pink-painted man arrived before she could oblige.

"You little snot! Why in Lord Zeus's holy name did drop that paint bucket on me?" The older man looked furious, but it was kind of hard to tell, really, what with the color of hot pink on his face and all.

"Because it was funny!" the boy shouted back at the man. "You'd think it was funny too if you weren't so old!"

Before the man could strangle the boy, Rukia decided that it was time to step in. "What's going on?"

"This brat dumped a gallon of paint on my head as I was leaving my house!" the old man shouted.

"Only after he said that I could never amount to anything!" the boy spat. Once again, Rukia had to step in to prevent the two from killing each other.

"Hold on! Let's try to work out a compromise before killing each other," Rukia suggested. She turned to the old man. "Sir, how about I take the boy, and you go wash off and take care of whatever errands you had to do?"

"Why should I leave him with you?"

"Trust me, I know a thing or two about how to deal with rambunctious children." She wasn't really_ lying,_ per se. She really did know how to deal with kids like this boy, but she had gotten her expertise because she had also been rather unruly before she was adopted into the Kuchiki family.

The man gave her an analyzing look. Finally, he nodded and left to clean himself off. Rukia turned to the boy whose shirt collar she was still holding onto. He was pouting in a way that made her giggle.

"What's so funny, you old hag?" the boy asked. Rukia stopped giggling and gave the boy a death glare that she had learned from watching Byakuya. The boy immediately closed his mouth out of fear.

Rukia sighed. This boy was reminding her of the younger Renji from so many years ago. Hell, he reminded her if the red-haired Soul Reaper today! "Do you mind telling me your name?"

"Who wants to know?" the boy asked defiantly.

"I'm Rukia Kuchiki. I'm a Soul Reaper. And you are?"

The boy gave her questioning look. He had most likely never heard of Soul Reapers before. "I'm Icarus." He then suddenly pointed to the sky in an overdramatic pose, with a huge, cocky grin on his face. "And I'm by far the coolest guy you'll ever meet in your life, no matter how long you live!"

The boy's actions made Rukia blink in surprise and confusion. She couldn't help but giggle at the boy again. "Well, it's nice to meet you Icarus. Now, you should probably go home."

"What? You mean you're not gonna punish me?"

"Why would I?" Rukia gave him a smile. "You remind me of a friend of mine. And if you really are anything like him, then no amount of punishment will ever change you. Now get going."

Icarus looked at her with sheer amazement. When she let go of his shirt, he took her hand and started walking in a seemingly random direction. When Rukia gave him a confused look, he said, "There's someone I want you to meet! Just follow me!"

Rukia sighed at the boy's enthusiasm. He wasn't giving her much of a choice.

-o-

Kronos stood before the crowd of necromancers that was hard at work resurrecting the most powerful warrior they could find. He was actually eager to meet this new ally. Anyone who could be piled against Olympus would be welcomed with open arms.

"How much longer?" he asked one of the necromancers.

"About thirty minutes, my Lord," the necromancer replied with certainty. "Your new servant should be ready then."

"Hurry it up. I don't have all day." The necromancers bowed to his master and continued working.

-o-

Icarus's house was fairly small and humble. At least to Rukia it was. It looked generally the same as many of the other temple-like buildings in the Olympian City.

"Come on!" Icarus said excitedly. "He's inside. I think you'll like him!"

"Lead the way, Icarus," Rukia said with a smile. She was actually interested in meeting this new person that Icarus so eagerly wanted to introduce her to.

They went inside the home, and Rukia looked around in surprise. The walls were covered with blueprints for various inventions and pictures of machines she had never seen before, not even in the human world.

"What is all this?" she asked in awe.

"Those are all inventions that my dad made," Icarus answered with a proud smile. "He's a great inventor, and even created the first form of man-powered flight!"

"Man-powered?"

"It's a long story." Icarus let go of Rukia's hand and cupped his hands over his mouth. "Hey, Dad! Are you here?"

"I'll be down in a moment!" a voice called from upstairs. Just then, something started descending from the ceiling. A circle of stone floor was held up by four bronze pillars that seemed to be separated by sections. As the makeshift elevator went down, it suddenly stopped with the sound of gears struggling against each other. "Ah, blasted thing! Work just this once, will you?"

Suddenly, the elevator fell, causing its single occupant to let out a shriek of surprise. A man came tumbling out of the elevator. He had an awkward, lopsided grin on his face.

"Still needs tweaking," he muttered as he picked up and dusted himself off. When he noticed Rukia, he asked, "Icarus, who's this young woman?"

"This is Rukia," Icarus said with a smile. "She helped me out earlier, and wanted to introduce you to her, since she's my friend!" Rukia stared at the boy, wondering when exactly they became friends.

The man, apparently Icarus's father, gave a warm smile and held out his hand. "Well, it's very nice to meet you, Miss Kuchiki. I'm Icarus's father, Daedalus."

-o-

It was finally done. His new soldier was finally in the waking world again. Kronos approached the man in the center of the room. When he was just five feet away, he stopped and studied the newcomer.

"Do you know who you are?" he asked.

"Yes," the man replied calmly, despite Kronos's massive spiritual pressure pressing down on him.

"What is your name?"

The man looked at Kronos with an emotionless expression. "My name is…" He stopped, as if pondering his situation. He then looked Kronos straight in the eyes.

"My name is… Ulquiorra."

-o-

A/N: And the fangirls rejoice!


	14. Rise of the Titans

Ichigo sat comfortably on the ground, looking up at the sky. He was taking a short break from training. Chiron had left to take care of an errand, and had instructed him to continue training on his own.

After a few moments, he stood back up and stretched his muscles. He then picked up his sword and gave it a few test swings before attacking a nearby dummy. He hacked at the armored scarecrow, earning him a satisfying clanging sound from the blade making contact with the armor, and soon swung for a beheading, stopping right at the scarecrow's neck. He smirked. He had gotten used to this blade fairly quickly, and was already proficient with it.

As he was about to continue hacking at the scarecrow, there was a sudden spike in spiritual pressure. He turned to try to find the source, but quickly realized that it was fairly far away.

"What the hell is that?" he asked out loud. Not having an answer, he quickly went to investigate.

-o-

Orihime panted as she dodged a quick stab from Athena. In return, she slashed at her teacher, nicking the goddess's arm and drawing a tiny trickle of blood. The goddess chuckled when she discovered this.

"You're getting better, Orihime," she praised her student, who beamed with pride. "But a simple nick like this would never guarantee victory in a real battle. You have to aim for much more vital areas. The neck, for example. It can't have heavy armor, because if it did, it would make it difficult for one to turn their head, an ability that is vital to any practical warrior. As a result, the neck rarely has armor on it, leaving it vulnerable. That should be your prime target."

Orihime nodded, understanding completely. She ran up to her instructor, aiming to slash at the goddess's neck, but stopped when she felt a massive surge of spiritual pressure.

"W-what is that?" she asked. Athena's eyes were wide with surprise and shock.

"It can't be," she said, dreading the possibility that _they_ were making their move. "Orihime, we have to get to the palace!"

Orihime nodded, knowing better than to argue. She followed the running Athena who could only think one thing at the moment: _I only hope that I'm wrong! Oh, please let me be wrong, just this once!_

-o-

Byakuya and Renji were walking through the city when they felt the sudden immense pressure slam down on them.

"What the hell?" Renji called out in surprise. "What's with this insane spirit energy? Where's it coming from?"

Byakuya's eyes narrowed. "This feels similar to the Olympians. But at the same time, it feels… different. Far more malevolent."

"Should we investigate, Captain?"

Byakuya was silently weighing his options. Soon, he came to a decision. He nodded, and he and his lieutenant hurried off to the source of the pressure.

-o-

"Hey, Kenny!" Yachiru shouted in excitement. "You feel that?"

"Yeah," Kenpachi said as he licked his lips in anticipation. "That spirit energy is so huge, even I can tell where it's coming from! This is gonna be fun!" With that, he charged out of the alley that they were forced to stay in for the past three days (fortunately, Kenpachi was intimidating enough to get people to give them food and drinks for that time period).

-o-

"Captain," Rangiku said as she approached the younger, but more powerful, Soul Reaper.

"I know," Toshiro said as he closed the book he was reading. It had been a good one, too. "Let's go." They used Flash Step and were gone in an instant.

-o-

Uryu and Chad had been in the middle of training, using each other as sparring partners, when they felt it. The pressure caught them completely off guard.

"What the?" Uryu managed to say. "Chad, do you feel that?"

"Yeah," the giant replied. They left their training and ran off in the general direction of the spiritual pressure.

-o-

Rukia had been having a nice conversation with Icarus's father, Daedalus. He was really a good and curious man. He kept asking questions about Soul Reapers, and what kind of technology her people used, if any. He reminded her of a kindhearted version of Captain Kurotsuchi. He was definitely more pleasant to be around. They had been talking about his latest invention, the steam-less teapot, when she felt as though someone had just dropped a sack of bricks onto her shoulders.

"What the?" all three had asked at once. Icarus, with a terrified look, said, "What the hell is that?"

Rukia stood as best she could. The spiritual pressure was making it difficult. "I'll go and check it out! You two stay here!" Before either of the two males could protest, she was already out the door.

"Dad," Icarus said nervously.

"I know, son," Daedalus replied. "I'll go get Big Bertha."

-o-

Zeus felt the dangerously familiar pressure all the way from his throne room on the opposite end of the city. He sighed and silently prayed to the Fates that they would be on the side of Olympus.

"They're finally here," Zeus thought aloud. "The Titans."

-o-

Kronos stood on a hilltop overlooking the Olympian City. He sneered with distaste. To his eyes, it a disgraceful sight. Immortals should rule through fear, with mortal beings groveling at their feet, begging for mercy. Mercy, however, was something that he knew little about.

"Are we ready to begin?" Kronos asked his top lieutenant.

"Yes, my Lord," Hyperion replied with a cold, dispassionate tone. "All that we require is Arachne's signal. Then, we can begin the destruction of this pitiful excuse for an _immortal kingdom_."

And as if on cue, there was a burst of sinister purple energy out in a forested area. When the energy dissipated, it was replaced with an enormous and hungry-looking spider. It let loose a terrible screech and started toward the city, crushing everything in its path and eating anything that dared to fight it.

The sight of chaos brought a rare smile to Kronos's lips. "Ulquiorra." His newest subordinate approached the Titan Lord and stood at his left side. "Go. Find the boy, and bring him to me. Preferably from the neck up."

Ulquiorra gave Kronos a glare. The King of the Titans was the only person he ever truly distrusted. But he owed the evil immortal his life now. And he was never one to leave a debt unpaid.

"It shall be done, _Your Lordship_," he said. And he vanished with the familiar buzzing sound of a sonido.

Kronos let out a malevolent grin. "Today, Olympus will fall! Today, and forevermore, the Titans shall reign supreme!" Behind him, there was an uproarious approval. His entire army of demons couldn't agree with their master any more than they already did.

-o-

A/N: Wow. This is a personal record. Three chapters in one day is probably the most I've done in the week or so since I signed up onto this website. Anyways, hope you enjoyed! Leave a review if you liked it, and if you didn't like it, all I can say is "Why are you still here?"


	15. I Swore to Save You

Aphrodite had felt the massive spiritual pressure, and was now hurrying to the throne room, where the Council of Twelve would meet to stand against the Titans. She had been there during the original war against Kronos's vile hordes, and Zeus would need her expertise.

"Hey, there," called a voice that was all too familiar to her. She turned nervously, hoping to any beings above even the Fates that she was wrong. But she was right.

"Phobos? Deimos?" she asked, trying to sound calm. Phobos and Deimos were the twin Gods of Fear and Terror, respectively. Even the Lord of the Underworld was slightly unnerved whenever they were in his presence. "What are two doing here? You should be out protecting the city."

"Sorry, Aphrodite," Phobos, the one who had spoken earlier, said in his disturbing, unnerving way. "But our old man told us to keep an eye on you for him."

_Ares?_ Aphrodite asked herself. The God of War was the father of Phobos and Deimos. The apples didn't fall very far from the tree. "Why does he want you to watch me? Won't he be able to from the throne room?"

"Forgive us, ma'am," said Deimos in a cold, emotionless voice that could put the dead on edge. "Lord Ares will not be attending the meeting." Before Aphrodite could respond, Phobos snapped his fingers.

She was immediately swallowed by darkness.

-o-

Byakuya slashed the head off of a minotaur as Renji sliced a chimera in half. The horde seemed to be endless, because when they killed one creature, ten more took their place.

"Dammit!" Renji yelled as he blocked an attack from another monster. "Where the hell do these things keep coming from?"

Byakuya remained as calm as possible. These monsters simply kept coming, no matter how many they killed. Soon, he had enough.

"Scatter," he said quietly. "Senbonzakura." His sword immediately scattered into thousands of the tiny blades resembled cherry blossoms. They shredded through the horde, killing demon after demon. But there were still thousands more. _We may not be able to hold them off forever._

Byakuya slew yet another monster, then noticed something off to his right. He saw a pair of men walking almost casually through the battlefield, but that's not what caught his attention. The larger of the two men was carrying the goddess Aphrodite on his shoulder.

"Captain!" Renji called to the distracted Kuchiki. "I know you're my superior, but now's not the time to be distracted! What's wrong?" Before receiving an answer, however, Renji's captain vanished in a quick Flash Step. "What the?" he heard something behind him and quickly hacked at a monster. "Damn it all!"

-o-

Ares smirked as he saw his sons return with Aphrodite on Deimos's shoulders. He had been waiting for the day when Kronos would sack Olympus. It had been a long time coming, and he had plans for the Goddess of Love and Beauty.

"Good work, boys," Ares praised his chip-off-the-old-block sons. "Your old man is proud of you."

"Thank you, Father," Deimos said in his cold, formal voice. He placed Aphrodite's unconscious form gingerly on the ground. Phobos then promptly kicked her in the stomach to wake her up.

"Wh-what?" she stammered from pain and confusion. She had been having the worst nightmare about herself rapidly aging and becoming uglier and uglier until she had turned to dust. When she finally remembered what had happened, she pushed herself away from Phobos and his more muscular brother. "What's going on?"

"Olympus is about to collapse," she heard Ares's voice say behind her. She turned and saw the God of War in all his intimidating glory. "Lord Kronos is gonna be in charge from now on!"

"_Lord_ Kronos?" the goddess said in shock. "You mean you're-?"

"Damn right, bitch," Ares said with a sadistic grin. "I made a little deal with the old man. I fight for him, and he promises me unending war in the human world. Seems like a fair deal if you ask me."

"Ares, Olympus is your home! How can you just betray your own people like that?" She couldn't believe it. Ares was a cruel, sadistic bastard, and everybody knew it. But no one even once stopped to consider that his blood-lust would lead him to betray his fellow Olympians. "You're a god of Olympus! You can't just turn your back on us like this!"

Ares chuckled. "You've got a point." He looked her dead in the eyes. "I'd have to be facing you in order to shove a knife into your eye." Aphrodite's eyes widened at this. He was really going to betray his people, his very family. And she was most likely going to be his personal plaything until he grows bored of her.

"You will do no such thing," a calm voice spoke. The four gods looked to see the familiar form of a dark-haired man brandishing a katana-like sword.

"Byakuya…" Aphrodite said in awe. "Why…?"

"When I first met you, Aphrodite," Byakuya said loudly enough for all to hear. He still had a calm, collected look on his face. "And when I saw the way Ares treated you, I swore upon the pride of my family that I would save you from that so-called 'god.' And if that means that I must face two other gods to do so…" He held his sword in a battle stance. "Then so be it."

Ares sneered at the Soul Reaper captain. How can any mortal, no matter how stupid, possibly be so insolent as to believe that he could defeat a god? Let alone three!

"Phobos! Deimos!" he called out to his sons. "Take Aphrodite to the rendezvous point. I'll meet up with you there when I'm finished with this idiot."

"Yes, Father," they both replied as Deimos took the kicking Aphrodite up onto his shoulder once again. When they ran off, Byakuya tried to follow, but was blocked by Ares.

"I don't think so, pretty boy," the God of War said with an angry grin. A gigantic broadsword with a ten-foot blade suddenly appeared in his right hand. "You'll have to get through me first."

Just before Ares swung however, they heard, "Roar, Zabimaru!" A blade suddenly came out of the space behind Byakuya. He turned to see his lieutenant, with Kenpachi Zaraki and his own lieutenant.

"Renji," he said, hardly surprised that the wild redhead would intervene.

"Are you alright, Captain?" Renji asked. Byakuya gave a nod and turned to face Ares, only to see that Kenpachi had Flash Stepped in front of him.

"I'll deal with this guy," Kenpachi said, grinning like a maniac. "You guys go on ahead." Byakuya stared at the violent man, but nodded. The two leaders of Squad 6 then disappeared in Flash Steps of their own.

Ares glared hatefully at the man with the unusual haircut. "Just who the hell are you, anyway?" he barked out, more of command than a question.

"Captain of Soul Reaper Squad 11, Kenpachi Zaraki," he said, still smiling madly. Suddenly, Yachiru popped up from behind his shoulder.

"And I'm his lieutenant!" she proclaimed cheerfully. "I'm Yachiru Kusajishi!"

"Ow! That was my ear you just shouted in!" Kenpachi complained. When Yachiru started pouting, he sighed and said, "Just go somewhere else to watch, will you?"

"Okay!" With that, the little pink-haired girl zoomed off to a favorable location.

The Squad 11 Captain then turned his attention back to Ares. "So," he said, his insane grin returning. "God of War, huh? Let's put that to the test, shall we?"


	16. Who Are You?

Their swords crashed into each other as they fought. Kenpachi was having the time of his life. He was actually fighting a god! This couldn't possibly be any better for him!

"Come on!" he shouted giddily. "Cut me already! Unless you don't have the balls for it!"

"Oh, I'll do more than cut you, you little piece of crap!" Ares roared back. He couldn't believe that this guy actually _wanted_ to get injured! Any sane warrior would do everything they could just to _avoid_ injury. But from that look in the guy's eye, sanity was something he'd thrown away a long time ago. "Just die already!"

Kenpachi didn't even bother dodging, letting the blade slash his shoulder, leaving a deep gash. "Oh, yeah, that's the stuff! Keep it up, God of War!"

_What the hell is this guy's deal?_ Ares asked himself. He dodged a downward slash from Kenpachi's blade, and countered with an uppercut from his own sword. This time, Kenpachi blocked the attack.

"Come on, is that all you got! Show me more!"

"Damn you!" Ares swung a fist a Kenpachi's face. When he made contact, the Soul Reaper staggered back, and a small tearing sound could be heard. Ares looked into his hand and saw that he had torn off the man's eye patch. "Huh. Guess I hit you harder than I thought." He tossed the eye patch behind him. "Oh, well. It's not like you needed that anyway."

Kenpachi raised his head and gave Ares a glare. When the god looked shocked that he still had his right eye, Kenpachi chuckled. "Surprised? That eye patch wasn't to hide a scar! It was designed to cut my spirit energy down!" As if on cue, the Soul Reaper's spiritual pressure spiked, catching Ares completely off guard.

"What the hell?" the god said in surprise. "How in the world is a mere mortal's spiritual pressure so massive?"

"Well, to be totally honest," Kenpachi gave Ares a sadistic, psychotic grin. "I really don't give a damn!" He charged at Ares, ready to hack the traitorous Olympian to bits. But just as he got close…

BOOM!

There was an enormous burst of sheer power, pushing Kenpachi back. When the Soul Reaper Captain managed to get back on his feet, he watched as the ominous dust cloud that surrounded Ares's position dissipated. When the cloud was finally gone, his eyes widened in utter shock.

"What the hell is that?" he asked out loud. He had expected to see Ares emerge from the cloud of dirt, but what he saw looked nothing like the God of War.

A monster, easily ten feet tall, stood in Ares's place. It had the head of a boar, and a sword the size of a skyscraper slung over its shoulder. Its body was massive and completely covered in battle scars. Its eyes looked like tiny nuclear explosions going off in the sockets. The great beast chuckled with utter malevolence.

"Why so shocked, Soul Reaper?" it said in a deeper version of Ares's voice. "You didn't really think that a god wouldn't have some kind ace up his sleeve, did you?"

"What the hell is this?" Kenpachi asked. Looking at that creature actually sent a genuine _chill_ down his spine.

"I guess it's only fair that you know what you're really messing with here," the monster growled out. "You see, we gods are actually in multiple places at once. When we're fighting an opponent of considerable power, we can resort to unleashing our true forms!"

"True forms?"

"That's right. We gather up all the pieces of our existence and focus them into one spot, allowing us to unleash earth-shattering power. Allow me to demonstrate." In a movement that was almost invisible to the human eye, Ares swung down his enormous blade nearly crushing Kenpachi, who was just barely able to block the attack. The result was a massive explosion of dirt and rubble, creating a crater that very nearly put the Grand Canyon to shame. Ares's boar-like lips twisted into an evil grin. "And that's just a taste."

-o-

Yachiru was barely able to get out of range of Ares's sudden attack. She had been scraped by flying bits of debris, but was mostly unharmed. When she thought she was a safe distance away, she turned back around to watch Kenny fight some more. She had no doubts that he would win.

"Go, Kenny!" she shouted cheerfully.

-o-

Kenpachi stood up and staggered around for a minute, dizzy from the sheer power of that last attack. He hadn't expected Ares to gain such immense power in such a short amount of time. When he finally managed to stand straight, he was able to see a large shadow looming over him. That was something he wasn't used to. He turned around just in time to watch as a massive fist slammed into his face, sending him skidding across the ground.

"Is this really all you've got Soul Reaper?" the God of War asked sadistically. "Because this is getting boring fast." When Kenpachi stood up again, he slammed a fist into the Soul Reaper's stomach.

Kenpachi could barely think anymore, let alone react, as the god brutally wailed on him. The only thought he could really process was, _Yachiru… run…_

-o-

Yachiru watched in horror as she watched Kenny getting beaten to a bloody pulp. She cupped her hands over her mouth in an attempt to keep herself from screaming his name, just so she wouldn't sound scared for him. Living with him had taught her that he could handle anything, regardless of how big and strong it was.

She could see that he was still keeping a grip on his zanpakuto. That was good at least. It meant that he was still willing and able to fight.

"Come on, Kenny," she muttered. "You can still win." She was very close to praying that he could somehow get enough time to recover so that he could really cut loose. She just about to do so when…

Clang.

Her eyes widened with terror and sorrow as Kenpachi's sword fell from his hand.

-o-

"Tch," Ares snorted arrogantly. He was holding Kenpachi up by his left arm. The Soul Reaper had dropped his sword just a mere moment ago. "How pathetic. You didn't even last long enough for me to deal the finishing blow. Look at you. You're barely conscious." Kenpachi could only groan in pain as a response.

The God of War gave an evil smile. "Oh, well. Time to die, Kenpachi Zaraki!" Just as he was about to punch his fist through the man's chest, however, a tiny pink and black blur appeared in a rush of speed. It grabbed Kenpachi and his zanpakuto and ran a good few hundred yards away from the boar-headed god.

"I won't let you kill Kenny!" shouted Yachiru Kusajishi as she stood protectively over Kenpachi's barely-alive form. "He's the only person that matters to me! I won't let you hurt him anymore!"

Ares blinked at the little girl, surprised both at her remarkable speed, and her level of courage. He laughed at her. "You _really_ think you can beat me, you little snot? Well, you're welcome to try!" Yachiru immediately rushed at Ares, sword drawn and aiming to behead him. Ares merely slapped her aside.

The sheer force from the blow sent her flying into a tree, causing the plant to collapse under the sudden pressure. Yachiru picked herself up and winced in pain. She felt her left, only to find that it was broken. She held in the cries of pain and attempted to Flash Step toward Ares, only to land a few feet away from her original position, clutching her leg.

"Sheesh," Ares sighed. "This is why I hate kids. They think that they can do anything, when everyone knows that it's hopeless." He chuckled to himself as he stomped over to Yachiru. "This reminds me of when my two boys were young. I would always discipline them by beating them senseless. Of course, that was in my human form. I doubt you'll survive this."

As Ares made his way over to Yachiru, Kenpachi watched on, knowing all too well that he was too weak to do anything. He cursed himself for it. Why couldn't he be stronger? Why couldn't he protect the one person that he kept at his side at all times? She was going to die, and there was nothing he could do but curse himself. He closed his eyes in a pathetic attempt to hide his pain.

_There is a way,_ he heard a woman's voice tell him. His eyes snapped open. He quickly realized that he was no longer at Olympus. He was now in an endless, grassy field. He was currently lying in a bed of wilting grass, as if it were dying with him.

"Kenpachi," the woman's voice spoke again. He craned his neck in way to allow him to the voice's source. What he saw was a silver-haired woman wearing a golden kimono. She had calm, stoic expression on her face. "I have lost count of the years that I have waited to speak with you." She looked him over and gave a snide smirk. "You look worse than hell."

"Who are you?" Kenpachi asked. "Some kind of angel sent to take me to heaven? Because if so, you've got the wrong Kenpachi."

The woman chuckled at him. She gave him a warm smile and said, "You already know who I am, Kenpachi. I have been at your side, calling your name, but you never listened. I am your strength. I represent where your true power comes from."

Kenpachi stared at the woman with a confused look. After a few moments, his eyes widened in sudden realization. "Wait. You're…"

"Yes," the woman confirmed. "My power is your power."

-o-

Ares was just about to crush Yachiru under his foot when he suddenly a massive spike in spirit energy. It felt as though it were coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. He turned to see the true source: Kenpachi Zaraki stood up, sword in hand.

"So, you wanna die first, huh?" he asked cruelly. "Well then, I guess I'll-!"

"Take the blow," he heard Kenpachi mutter. Before Ares could respond, Kenpachi exclaimed, "SHUGOSHIN!"

There was a sudden explosion of raw power. The burst of energy was so great, Ares had to cover his eyes to keep from being blinded. When he thought it was safe to look, his eyes widened at what he saw.

Rather than a sword in the Soul Reaper's hand, there was large shield with serrated edges, like a giant buzz saw. The shield's face depicted a human skull. Kenpachi stood behind the serrated barrier with a smirk.

"Ain't this ironic?" he asked. "I've always been the offensive type. Who would've guessed that this would be my zanpakuto's true form? No wonder I've never been able to use it before." He gave an evil grin, ready to continue the battle. "Now then, how about you help me test out my shikai?"

-o-

A/N: Surprised? So were Jesus Christ, Satan, and God (all of whom are currently in the process of soiling themselves). By the way, in case you're wondering, Shugoshin means "guardian god." It just kind of fit, really.


	17. He Who Shall Not Fall

Phobos and Deimos rushed to the area where they would meet one of Kronos's followers, with the still-struggling Aphrodite on Deimos's shoulder, when they felt their father's spiritual pressure suddenly spiked. Phobos gave a wicked grin.

"Looks like he's finally decided to cut loose," he commented. "That so-called 'Soul Reaper' doesn't stand a chance." Deimos nodded his agreement. Soon, however, they felt another spike in spirit energy. It wasn't familiar.

"What the hell is that?" he asked in obvious surprise.

"That is the spiritual energy of Captain Kenpachi Zaraki," said a composed voice. The two brothers turned to see the Soul Reaper that they had been fleeing from.

"Byakuya!" Aphrodite said with a smile. "How did you get past Ares?"

"An ally of ours held him off for us," said a red-haired man who stood at Byakuya's right side. He looked back for a moment. "It's weird, though, isn't Captain Kuchiki?"

"Yes," Byakuya said in agreement. "In all the years that I have known Kenpachi, his spiritual energy has never felt so great."

-o-

Yachiru stared in shock and awe as Kenpachi brandished his newly acquired shikai. The massive, buzz saw-like shield was certainly both an elegant and intimidating sight.

"What the hell?" Ares asked, trying to get over the shock of Kenpachi sudden rise in power. "What is that thing? What happened to your sword?"

Kenpachi grinned at the god. "It wasn't just a sword. It's my zanpakuto. And apparently, this is it's released form." He laughed when Ares gave him a slightly confused look. "I guess it's better to give you a demonstration than to just explain to you through words." The blades on the shield's edge suddenly started to rapidly spin around the barrier.

"Wait!" the god shouted. Kenpachi obliged, keeping a suspicious eye on the traitor. "Why are wasting your time fighting me? If you fought for Kronos, then guys like you and me can have all the war and violence that we crave!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Think about it! We could fight and fight and fight until we inevitably fade into dust! The adrenaline pumping through your veins, the blood staining your weapon, countless fighters challenging you 'til your heart's content! For guys like us, warriors who fight for the thrill of battle, it would be more than perfect!" When Kenpachi didn't answer, he asked, "What do you say? You in?"

Kenpachi was silent, as if seriously considering the possibilities of an endless battle. He gave the God of War a glare. "You just sucked all the fun out of this."

"What?"

"I hate guys like you. Guys who resort to bargaining and bribery when they're scared of an opponent." Kenpachi showed an angry sneer. "I've killed more guys like you than I can count! Just to put them out of their misery!" With that, he rushed at the god.

When Kenpachi charged, he moved saw Ares in half. The God of War quickly moved out the way and materialized his broadsword in time to block the Soul Reaper's next attack, an attempted beheading. Ares grunted under the pressure and leaped away.

_Where the hell did this power come from? _he asked himself. _No mortal could possibly have such power! It's impossible!_ There was good distance between him and Kenpachi now. Enough for him to crush the Soul Reaper under his blade again. He raised his sword and quickly swung down, only for Kenpachi to raise his shield and block the attack completely.

"Is that all a god at full strength can do?" Kenpachi asked with a cocky smirk. "I thought you'd be better than this!" He shrugged the blade off of his shield and positioned his zanpakuto behind him. He swung his arm forward, sending the shield flying towards Ares, who was too stunned to react. The saw blades tore through his arm, completely severing it.

Ares suppressed a pained yelp as the weapon flew back to its master, riding along a chain of pure spirit energy connected to a silver gauntlet. Ares glared at the Soul Reaper, then at the stump where his arm used to be. His mouth twisted into an enraged snarl.

"Enough,' he muttered under his breath. Kenpachi gave him a confused look. "Enough… ENOUGH OF THIS! I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED BY A WORTHLESS, INSIGNIFICANT MORTAL INSECT, LIKE YOU!" He raised his good arm, and a ball of blood-red energy began charging in his palm. "This is my most powerful attack! This is what really destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki!"

The spiritual pressure that the god was giving off right now was unbelievable. It actually made Kenpachi feel nervous. In his mind, he asked, _Great. Now what do we do?_

_"We show him our true power, Kenpachi,"_ the voice of Shugoshin told him. _Hold me out in front of you. We will combine our efforts from there._ Kenpachi nodded and held his zanpakuto in front of him, as if to block Ares's attack.

"That won't help you!" Ares scoffed. He held is hand out in front of him. "This is the end for you, Soul Reaper! Kanoni Fovountai!" He unleashed the blast of energy straight at the Soul Reaper captain, who stood his ground.

The blast hit Shugoshin's front full-on. Kenpachi grunted under the sudden force of the attack, but still stood his ground. Just then, the most incredible thing happened: the shield began _absorbing_ the attack, as though the skull on the front were devouring the energy.

Ares's eyes widened in utter shock at this. _Impossible! How the hell is he doing that?_

When the attack was finally absorbed completely into the shield, Kenpachi heard Shugoshin say, _Now, Kenpachi! Show him the true might of a Soul Reaper!_

Kenpachi obliged completely. "Eat this, God of War! Koken'ninmira!" When that was uttered, a blast of yellow energy twice the size of Ares's attack blasted out of the shield's surface.

To this, the God of War's only reaction was, "Unbelievable." He was then swallowed up by the attack. The blast kept on going for nearly five miles. It was like detonating a hydrogen bomb created by God Himself. All who saw it stopped what they were doing and watched in awe and fear, both sides praying that whoever delivered that attack was on their side.

When the attack ended, Kenpachi stood up straight, eyeing the smoking body of Ares, who was still standing.

"So…" the god said. "That's… what power is." With that, he collapsed onto the ground. Kenpachi gave the fallen god a pitying look, like he almost felt bad for him. Almost.

He went over to check on Yachiru, who was still holding onto her broken leg. He reached to check on her injury, but pulled his hand back when she recoiled in pain at his touch.

"Kenny," Yachiru said with pained, but genuine smile. "I knew you could do it. And you finally got shikai, too!"

"Yeah," Kenpachi replied. He then lightly poked her forehead with his finger. "You really can be such an idiot, you know that?"

Yachiru smiled and giggled. "I learned from the best!"

Kenpachi blinked, not totally sure if that was a compliment or an insult. Instead speaking back, he simply laughed. All that really mattered to him now was that Yachiru was safe.

-o-

They had all seen the massive blast of golden energy. They had also felt Ares's spiritual energy fade into an unnoticeable trace. Phobos slammed his fist into a tree that was next to him.

"Damn!" he shouted. "Now what do we do, Deimos? These Soul Reaper guys are tougher than we thought!"

"You could always give up and let me go," Aphrodite suggested with a sly smile.

"Not a chance, bitch!" Phobos shouted at her.

"Can't blame a girl for trying," the goddess replied with a pouty expression.

"Brother," Deimos said. Phobos looked at his elder twin. "Take Aphrodite and go. We must fulfill our father's wish. It is what he would want."

Phobos nodded. To keep Aphrodite from struggling, he cast another nightmare curse on her. Deimos handed her over, and the God of Fear dashed away.

"You will not escape!" Byakuya exclaimed, but he was blocked by the larger twin

"You shall not harm my brother, Soul Reaper," he said coolly. "For now, you must come face-to-face with the God of Terror."

-o-

A/N: Here are some translations in case you're curious:

Kanoni Fovountai: Greek for "Dread Cannon"

Koken'ninmira: Japanese for "Guardian Mirror"


	18. Fear and Terror

Byakuya and Renji stood before the large man, trying to find a way around him. When they couldn't see any opening, Renji said, "Captain. I'll distract him. You get the other one."

Byakuya looked at his lieutenant and gave a single nod. Both members of Squad 6 got into a battle-ready stance. Deimos watched them curiously. Were they really going to fight him?

"Roar, Zabimaru!" Renji yelled as he swung his zanpakuto. Deimos didn't even bother dodging. He simply held out is hand and the blade scraped against it. Instead of blood, there was a shower of sparks. Renji gawked at the sight. "What the hell?"

In an instant, Deimos vanished from his original position, reappearing behind the two Soul Reapers. He slapped them both away, sending Renji flying with his right hand, and Byakuya with his left.

"Do you two fools honestly believe you have what it takes to defeat me?" Deimos asked with pity in his voice. "How foolish. You cannot hope to overcome me. I am the very embodiment of terror itself."

"You sound awfully proud of that," Renji said, trying not to cough up blood. "Terror doesn't sound all too impressive when you think about."

"Fool," Deimos chided the redhead. "It is terror that has driven entire cities into mass panic. It is terror that has started countless wars. It is terror that has brought about the end of Olympus."

"It is terror that has allowed my captain to escape," Renji mocked with a cocky smirk. Deimos's eyes widened. He turned to see that the Soul Reaper lieutenant was right. Byakuya Kuchiki was gone, and most likely after Phobos. "Not too bright, are you?"

Deimos looked at Renji, who was now standing and ready to fight, with an angry glare. "You will not live to see tomorrow, mortal."

"We'll just have to see about that," Renji said, still smirking cockily.

-o-

Phobos was running as fast as he could, but Aphrodite's weight was slowing him down a good bit. He wasn't really used to manual labor, but he knew it was only a matter of time before he reached the rendezvous point, so he would just have to grin and bear it.

When he suddenly felt a wave of spiritual pressure, he stopped and turned to see a mass of tiny, pink blades rushing towards him. In a rare fit of panic, he dropped Aphrodite and leaped out of the way, letting the goddess get swallowed up by the wave.

He gave a sigh of relief at first, but gawked when he realized what had just happened. "Crap! That wave hit her!" When the shower of pink blades disappeared, he saw that dark-haired, pretty boy Soul Reaper gently leaning the goddess up against a tree. "Aw, geez. Dad ain't gonna like this."

"You there," the Soul Reaper called. "You must realize that I will not let you walk away with this woman. She is under my protection now." The Soul Reaper drew out his sword and went into a fighting stance.

Phobos shook his head and chuckled at the mortal's insolence. "You really are an idiot, aren't you? I'm a god! Against me, you'd be reduced to nothing more than a speck on the ground!" No response. This only made the god chuckle again. "Maybe I should just go ahead and show you what I mean."

All of a sudden, the world went black. Byakuya looked around carefully. "Is this all you can do? Blind me? I have been through more trying situations than this before."

He heard laughter coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. "Maybe you'll understand better once I introduce myself. I am Phobos, God of Fear!"

"The other one called himself the God of Terror," Byakuya pointed out. "I fail to see much of a difference between you two."

Another loud laugh. "Deimos is the God of Terror, yes. But terror is much more equivalent to sheer panic. He mostly works his magic on large crowds. I, in the other hand, work on a much more… personal level."

"What do you mean?"

"I guess I'll just show you," Phobos said with yet another sinister chuckle. Byakuya was beginning to think that this man was insane.

"Byakuya," he heard voice from behind him. He turned to face a possible enemy, but what he saw actually made him drop his sword. "Why are you looking at me like that, Byakuya? Is it that much of a shock to your system?"

Byakuya was at complete loss for words. Before was somebody he had made oath to, to carry their dying wish. Before was the first and only person that he believed he would ever truly love.

"Hisana…" Byakuya said in complete shock.

Hisana gave him a warm smile. "Hello, Byakuya." She then drew out a small dagger from the sleeve of her kimono. "You look thirsty, my love. Let give you a drink." In a single fluid motion… she cut her own wrists, letting the blood pour out of her body. "Go ahead, Byakuya. Drink up."

-o-

Renji quickly dodged a blow from Deimos's fist, escaping possibly being crushed. He swung his sword at the god, only to have the same effect as earlier.

"Simply swinging your blade will not help you, Soul Reaper," Deimos pointed out. "My power over terror allows me to on a physical form that is assured to cause my opponent to panic. The fact that you are barely able to think straight at the moment is proof of this."

"You really love hearing yourself talk, don't you?" Renji asked snidely. "I don't give a damn just how powerful you are! I'll defeat you and go help my captain beat your little brother to a pulp!"

Deimos blinked at the redhead. "Little brother?" He shook his head. "You fool. I may be larger than Phobos, but he is the elder."

"So what? You're supposed to be twins, right?"

Deimos nodded his confirmation. "That is true, Soul Reaper. But it does not mean anything. Save for Zeus, who is actually the youngest of the original Olympians, a god's power is based on his age rather than his experience. As powerful as I am, I could never hope to match up to Phobos. Not even when I'm at my full strength."

Renji's eyes widened at this. Byakuya was probably fighting that Phobos guy all by himself right now. He knew immediately that he would have to finish his own opponent quickly and help Captain Kuchiki as soon as possible. With that in mind, he came to a decision.

"It that case, let's end this here and now!" He held Zabimaru in front of his face and began charging his energy. "Bankai!"

Deimos watched in mild surprise as his opponent was suddenly surrounded by a mass of red energy. His eyes narrowed. He felt that the Soul Reaper's spirit energy increased tremendously. As the smoke cleared, he saw that Renji now wielded a gigantic wooden snake as his weapon, and now wore a fur cape with what looked like a baboon skull on the left shoulder.

"Hihio Zabimaru!" Renji proclaimed the name of his bankai as he swung his arm toward his enemy, sending the massive snake straight towards Deimos. However, just as the snake's skull was about to make contact, the God of Terror was surrounded by an explosion of black energy. Hihio Zabimaru's head was blown back by the burst of power, sending back to its master.

When Renji could see his opponent again, his widened. Before him was the most horrifying beast he had ever seen. Even more terrifying than even the most powerful Hollows he had ever fought. Its torso was that of a heavily muscled man, with enormous dragon-like wings, arms like a pair of crab-like pincers, and legs like a centipede. And its face… he tried desperately now to avoid eye contact. Another look into its face and eyes, and he was certain that he would go insane.

"This is the true face of terror," the beast said in a deep, husky voice. "You will not survive, no matter how strong you think you are." Deimos prepared himself to charge. "Now then… die."

-o-

A/N: Okay, I'll admit it: that last part with Hisana thrown in may have a little _too_ dark. But, again, it's my story. Leave a review if you liked, and just plain leave if you didn't :(


	19. Fear Itself

Byakuya stood, frozen with shock, as Hisana walked closer to him, her wrists slashed and bleeding. She was just as beautiful as he remembered. Her dark hair, her warm eyes, her kind smile. But it had to be a trick. Some kind of illusion. But how could Phobos know _exactly_ what Hisana had looked like?

"My love," Hisana said warmly. She pressed herself against him. "Why are you so quiet? Why do you look so shocked?" She held up her bleeding wrists. "Aren't you thirsty, Byakuya?"

"You…" Byakuya muttered to himself. He was desperately trying to remain calm. "You can't be Hisana. She is dead. She has been for centuries." He pushed her away, causing her to stumble. "You are not Hisana!"

The illusion-Hisana stared at him shock. She lowered her head, as if in shame. Then, she started laughing, but not in Hisana's voice.

"It took you long enough, Soul Reaper," said the voice of Phobos through Hisana's lips. Suddenly, Hisana's body burst into flames, with the sound of Hisana's screams joining in. Then, Phobos's voice said, "This is my true godly form, mortal. Fear itself."

"Fear itself?" Byakuya parroted questioningly. He heard Phobos's laughter surrounding him.

"That's right. This is why I am one of the most feared of all gods. In this form, I take on the appearance of what my opponent fears the most. And you, my friend, clearly fear the inability to protect the ones close to you."

"Brother," said a girl's voice. Byakuya turned around, and his eyes went wide. There was Rukia, standing on a chair, a noose around her neck, tied to the branch of dead-looking tree. She was smiling as though she weren't in danger in the slightest. "This is for you." She kicked the chair out from under herself.

Byakuya's eyes widened even further. Suddenly, from the ground rose… his entire clan. Every single member of his clan that he had ever known, both dead and alive. He saw that there multiples of every one of them. They all started killing themselves, claiming that it was for his sake.

He couldn't hold it in any longer. He fell to his knees… and screamed.

-o-

Renji panted as he ran from the continuously approaching Deimos. He mentally cursed that damned god and his centipede-like legs. The God of Terror was much faster than one would guess from looking at him.

The red-haired Soul Reaper swung his arm towards the demonic god, sending the massive snake skull flying at him. Deimos took hold of the wooden serpent in one claw and smashed it apart with the other. Hihio Zabimaru quickly rebuilt itself and returned to Renji's side.

_Damn,_ he thought, glaring at the god while trying not to look at his face. _This guy's even tougher than he looks, and he already looked tough to begin with! Come on, Renji, think! He's got to have some kind of weakness!_

As he was trying to formulate a plan, he heard someone screaming in the distance, interrupting his musing. It sounded like Byakuya's voice.

"What the hell?" Renji asked himself aloud. "Was that Captain Kuchiki?"

"It would seem as though my brother wishes to play with his opponent first," Deimos commented. When Renji gave a questioning look, he explained further. "You remember when I told you that Phobos is more powerful than I am?" Renji nodded. "His power actually comes from the fear hidden within others. As the God of Fear, he is able to feed off of his enemy's mental anguish, slowly draining them of their spiritual energy. Soon enough, the victim dies from sheer fright. It is a very effective method of destroying the enemy."

Renji's eyes widened at this. Byakuya was in far more danger than he first realized. He scowled at Deimos and said, "I guess I really will have to finish this quickly." He immediately went into a fighting stance. "Get ready!"

-o-

Byakuya was on his knees, covering his hears in a desperate and futile attempt to drown out the sounds of his clansmen dying in a gruesome variety of ways. He could feel himself shaking from the sheer panic raging throughout his body, tearing him apart from the inside out.

"Isn't this just sweet?" asked Phobos's voice. "Your whole family is willing to kill themselves for your sake! It's almost enough to make me laugh!"

"Please…" Byakuya muttered. "Stop…" The only response he got was Phobos's laughter.

"_Begging?_ Really? You think that'll help out of this? Ha! You're an even bigger idiot than you look! And speaking of looks, you should see yourself! Earlier, you were so confident that you could win! But now you're just a quivering mess!"

Byakuya shuddered. Not out of fear, but because he knew Phobos was right. _I am pathetic._

_Yes, Byakuya,_ said a familiar voice. _You truly are a pathetic mess._

_Senbonzakura?_ Byakuya asked. _Please, you must help me! I cannot overcome him by myself!_

_Are you really resorting to pleading for my help? Byakuya, you already have my aid. You need only use my power. Unleash it now, Byakuya!_

With a trembling hand, Byakuya held out his zanpakuto with the blade pointing to the earth. He let his grip go and muttered, "Bankai."

As the blade sank into the ground, dozens of other, larger blades emerged. They then glowed pink and shattered into millions of small blades, ready to slice through anything in their path. They all floated protectively around their master.

"Senbonzakura Kageyoshi," he finished as he shakily got back onto his feet. He could still hear the dying screams of his family. _Remain calm. They are just illusions. They are not real. They are not real._

Phobos had been confident that no matter how "brave" this Soul Reaper was, he would easily defeat him. No person, mortal or god, was truly brave. Everyone feared something. Except, of course, for the God of Fear. But when he sensed that Byakuya was slowly calming down, he started feeling a little bit nervous.

_Impossible!_ he thought. _He should still be on his knees begging for mercy! Why is he standing up? How can he stand seeing his whole clan slaughtering themselves?_

"I know you must have a physical body here somewhere," Byakuya said to Phobos. It took all of his willpower to ignore the cries of his brethren. "You cannot stay hidden forever. Show yourself."

Phobos gave a physical sneer. How did the Soul Reaper know that he had to maintain an actual body while in his true form? It had to be a lucky guess. _Yeah, that's it. He just guessed. No big deal._

Byakuya then heard footsteps behind him. He turned to see… another illusion-Hisana. "I said that I wanted to face the real you. Not some cheap copy that pales in comparison to the original."

"Oh, but this is me," Hisana said in Phobos's voice. He/she had a psychotic grin on his/her face.

Byakuya glared angrily at the god. "You dare mock the memory of my late wife?"

"No one's mocking this broad but you, lover boy. I told you, my true form is fear itself. I take on the form of my enemy's greatest fear. So, to you, I look like your precious Hisana, since you're so afraid of hurting her."

Byakuya's eyes narrowed. He knew that as long as Phobos's current form was maintained, he was likely to hesitate to attack the bastard. He mentally cursed.

"You get it now, Soul Reaper?" Phobos asked sadistically as he drew a sword from his sleeve. "There's nothing you can do against me! No one can truly face their fears without tossing aside their own sanity! Concepts like 'bravery' and 'courage' are nothing more than meaningless notions created by the human mind to give themselves hope, even when they know that there's no such thing!"

Byakuya silently glared at the man in his wife's body. At this point, he knew one thing for a fact: he hated this man's guts.

"I grow tired of your arrogance," Byakuya said with as much venom as he could. "It is time to finish this." Then, he summoned a sword out the mass of his cherry blossom-like blades, which started glowing, as though he were about to use Shukei, Hakuteiken. But instead of a heavenly white, his sword began to glow a demonic red.

"What the hell is that?" Phobos asked. That hellish red actually unnerved him.

"Many believe that my ultimate attack is the Shukei, Hakuteiken," Byakuya explained. "That is a lie. This is my most devastating technique. However, I can only use it under two conditions."

"Two… conditions?"

"The first is that I must truly despise the person that I use this technique against." The red, glowing blade then expanded and formed a pair devilish wings, with a pair of ethereal demon's horns floating behind him. "The second condition decrees that I must willingly give up one hundred years of my own life energy."

"Life energy?" Phobos asked in shock. He was practically sweating bullets at this point. "Are you insane? That'll only bring you closer to death, you fool!"

"Do you think that I am not aware of this?" Byakuya asked. "I shall show you just what the head of the Kuchiki clan is truly capable of." He gripped his glowing red blade with both hands, holding onto as though his life depended on it. "Chizakura no Oni."

It happened in an instant. Byakuya vanished and reappeared behind Phobos, his back turned to the God of Fear. The god simply stood there. Suddenly, his torso tore open, blood bursting out of his body.

"Not bad…" he muttered under his breath. "For a mortal." He reverted to his original form and collapsed onto face first onto the ground. As this happened, the darkness that surrounded them faded away.

Byakuya cancelled his bankai, all of the blades merging together to reform his original zanpakuto. He suddenly felt intense pain coursing throughout his body, forcing him to his knees. This was a sign that the Chizakura no Oni had done its work. Despite the pain he felt, he stood up and made his way to where he had left Aphrodite.

He saw her slowly waking up, and he knelt at her side. When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the Soul Reaper Captain watching over her.

"Byakuya…" she said quietly. "Come closer." Byakuya obeyed the goddess and leaned. She suddenly grabbed him by the collar of his shihakusho and pulled him into a kiss. Needless to say, he was a little caught off guard. When she released him, he looked at her with surprise. "Consider that your reward for saving me. And this…" She pulled him in again, this time more gently. "Is just because of you."

But before she could kiss him again, he pushed away from her. When she gave him a confused look, he sighed and said, "I'm sorry. But I can't do this. My heart still belongs to Hisana. As the Goddess of Love and Beauty, I'm sure you can understand."

Aphrodite gave him a sad look, but she smiled with approval. "Yes. I understand. I can see that you're too loyal to Hisana to remarry." She sighed as though she were daydreaming then. "I just wish that more men were like that."

Byakuya was silent. He could remember how the goddess was treated by Ares. He could also remember that he believed that she deserved better than that. He was certain that she would find that special someone someday.

-o-

A/N: Translation for the curious:

Chizakura no Oni: Japanese for "Demon of the One Thousand Cherry Blossoms"


	20. Reasons of Betrayal

Renji was struggling to come up with a way to beat Deimos. The God of Terror's true form was even more powerful than he gave it credit for. He had to come up with some kind of strategy to beat his enemy and get moving. He cursed out loud as he dodged yet another attack from the god.

"Try as you might, you can never defeat me," Deimos said with absolute assurance. "One as weak as you can never hope to conquer a god. Why do you not simply accept your fate and die?"

"I've never been the type to just submit to an enemy," Renji said with a scowl. "I've worked too hard to get where I am today. I'm certainly not going to stop here."

Deimos gave the redhead a slightly puzzled look, though Renji was unable to see it. "Tell me something, Soul Reaper. Why is it that you continue to fight?" Renji gave the god a confused stare. "Do you do battle solely for the sheer thrill of combat? Or is it because you are trying to protect something?"

Renji thought about that seriously for a moment. Why did he fight? He had always told himself that he needed to become stronger, but _why_? He let out a light chuckle. "To be honest, I really don't know. I've always fought because it just felt natural to do so. I've never really thought of reason why I needed to fight."

"I see," Deimos said. "Perhaps when this battle is over, you will know the answer." He quickly charged at Renji, who leaped to avoid the attack, landing on a nearby tree branch. He countered with a toss of Hihio Zabimaru, but the god evaded the attack. Then, Renji suddenly realized something.

_Ever since he entered that form, he's either been dodging or blocking my attacks rather than letting them bounce off of his body,_ Renji thought. He smirked as a plan finally started forming in his head. _All right! Let's do this!_

He leaped off of the branch, launching his weapon at the same time. When the attack was about to connect, Deimos grabbed the snake skull and broke the giant serpent apart. This made Renji smirk.

"I've got you now!" he shouted. In his mind, he made a quick apology to Zabimaru for what he was about to do. "Higa Zekko!"

Deimos's eyes widened as the scattered pieces of Hihio Zabimaru suddenly glowed red and shot towards him all at once. There were too many to block or dodge. He stood there as every fragment's spine pierced his skin. Finally the large snake skull bit down on his head. He was completely held down.

"This cannot hold me forever, Soul Reaper," he said calmly.

"Who said anything about holding you?" Renji asked with a cocky grin plastered on his face. "I want to know one thing before this is over."

"And what is that?"

"Renji Abarai…" Deimos would've given Renji a confused look if he could've seen the redhead. "… is the name of the man who defeated you! Hikotsu Taiho!"

As Renji proclaimed the name of his attack, Deimos was swallowed whole by an explosion of red energy. When the smoke cleared, Renji switched his zanpakuto back to shikai and look at the smoking body of the God of Terror.

"Incredible," Deimos muttered. He looked at Renji with some level of admiration. "You are stronger than I originally though, Renji Abarai." He paused with a thoughtful look on his face, which had switched back to its human form in the explosion. "Allow me to reward you with a piece of information."

"Information?" Renji asked. That one word piqued his curiosity.

"Yes. Ares, Phobos and I are not the only ones to have betrayed Olympus." Renji's eyes went wide with shock. "There are plenty of Olympians who feel as though they are not recognized, or that they deserve more than what they have. They have allied themselves with Kronos in the hopes that they will finally receive the recognition that they so desire." Renji clenched his fists, wondering how anybody, god or otherwise, could be so selfish.

"Do not think of them as evil, though," Deimos continued. "They merely feel unloved. In the old days, before Greece fell apart and succumbed to the might of the Roman Empire, they were worshipped and prayed to. Now, the mortals have forgotten them. All that they truly desire is the recognition that other Olympians receive from the humans."

Renji loosened his grip on his fists then. When Deimos said it that way, he could sort of understand why the traitors were so desperate. "Still, though: a traitor is a traitor, and must be dealt with accordingly."

"I understand, Abarai," Deimos said quietly. He then allowed himself to be pulled into unconsciousness. Renji looked at the fallen god. He then shook his head.

"I still don't know why I fight," he said out loud, as if so that the unconscious god could hear. "I guess you were wrong." He then ran over to find his captain.

-o-

Rukia hacked and slashed her way through the hoard of beasts that were trying to kill the innocent people of the city. As she fought, she made sure that the bystanders managed to get to relative safety.

As a ten-foot-tall Cyclops attempted to crush her, she quickly launched out a Sokatsui, landing the monster in the eye and killing it. She then sliced a hellhound into halves. There was a seemingly endless supply of enemies for her to have to kill.

_Damn,_ she thought. _Where's Ichigo or Renji when you need them?_ She was about to behead yet another hellhound when there was sudden chill in the air. It then started snowing. Rukia and all the monsters looked up to the sky in confusion. _Snow? But it's too warm this time of year. What's going on?_

They all then heard a gentle voice say, "Blizzard." Rukia was able to react faster than the monsters. She quickly jumped as high into the air as she could and gained friction in the air, allowing her stand in the sky. She watched as a massive snowstorm buried her enemies, the noise drowning out their pained and frightened cries.

"I am impressed," that voice said again. Rukia turned around to see an elegant, pale-skinned woman with long, pure white hair and a snow-white Greek toga. She was floating in the air, looking as though she were being supported by air currents. Her face displayed no emotion. "Not many can evade one of my storms."

"Who are you?" Rukia asked as she prepared herself for a possible fight.

"Forgive me," the woman said in a gentle, but dispassionate tone. "I do not normally speak with others. I am called by the name Khione. I am the Goddess of Snow."

"You're a goddess?" Rukia said, lowering her guard slightly. She was starting to think that this woman might be an ally. "I'm Rukia Kuchiki, of Soul Reaper Squad 13."

The goddess gave a small nod. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Rukia Kuchiki. Now, in the name of Lord Kronos, you shall die."


	21. The Goddess of Snow

Rukia stared in shock at the goddess. "You're working for Kronos? Why?"

"To gain recognition," Khione said calmly.

"Recognition?" Rukia asked. "What do you mean?"

Khione looked off to her left, remembering all those years ago. "Millennia ago, I was worshipped by the mortals of Ancient Greece and praised for the beauty that I send down from the heavens. Though there were those who hated me for my work, there were also those appreciated it. Now, the mortals of the world are slowly beginning to forget me."

"Even so, that's no reason to turn against your people," Rukia said with a slight amount of pity in her voice.

"Maybe," she said coldly. "But when mortals forget a divine being completely, that being completely fades out of existence." Rukia ley out a small gasp at that revelation. "Now, I am fading from mortal memory. And I shall not allow that to happen. And if I must destroy Olympus to ensure my survival, and to be recognized once again, then so be it." She raised her hand, summoning a wave of snow and ice. "Forgive me, Rukia Kuchiki. But you are my enemy. Therefore, I must kill you."

Rukia's eyes widened as the wave of frozen water surged towards her. She quickly used a Flash Step to evade the attack. When she was clear, she held her zanpakuto at the ready.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" she yelled as her sword became snow-white, with a white ribbon coming off of the end of the hilt. Khione eyed the weapon with curiosity.

"That blade," she said analytically. "I can sense it now. You hold a power similar to my own, Rukia Kuchiki. A power over the tranquil and deadly beauty of ice and snow. Though you do not seem to be as coldhearted as I am."

"Just because your powers are cold doesn't mean you have to be," Rukia said complete assurance in it.

Khione was silent. She looked as though she were considering something. When she finally spoke, she said, "What if I told you that I wasn't always like this? So stonehearted void of emotion?" Rukia gave the goddess a questioning look. "You seem like an intelligent young woman, Miss Kuchiki. And you do share the same power as me. Perhaps you of all people will understand my story."

Flashback

Khione was sitting outside, watching as the clouds floated by. She loved the outdoors. The open world held so much color and freedom. More than she ever had. Even though she was allowed outside, her father, Boreas, the Spirit of the North Wind, never let her go much farther than one hundred yards beyond his small palace.

"I wish I could be as free as those clouds," she thought aloud. "Then maybe Father wouldn't be able to control me." She sighed dreamily, wishing she could leave, with or without Boreas's permission.

"You do realize that the clouds are subject to the winds as well, don't?" a man's voice said behind her. She looked back and saw a man of great masculine beauty.

He had short, dark hair and sea-green eyes that were filled with strength and energy. His face was flawless, with no signs of blemishes of any kind ever having formed. He was shirtless, revealing a chiseled body that put even the most devoted athletes and warriors to shame. Khione blushed at the man that she and every other Olympian should be able to recognize.

"Poseidon!" she shouted excitedly. She immediately rushed over to him and tackled him with a hug. He laughed and returned the show of affection. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just passing through, and thought 'Hey, I should visit the most beautiful woman in the world!'" he said with the warm smile that he always had on when he was with her. "You don't mind that I'm here, do you?"

"What woman wouldn't be happy to see the man they love?" Khione replied as she buried her head in his welcoming chest. "You're so warm." She felt his hand on her chin, raising her head. She looked into his beautiful green eyes, becoming lost in them. They pulled each other into a warm, passionate kiss.

-o-

The next morning, Khione awoke in her bed, naked. She remembered what had happened last night with perfect clarity. Not many people knew this, but just as Poseidon was fierce in battle, he was equally as great a lover.

She looked to the other side of her bed, hoping to see her love lying with her. Instead, she found a note with Poseidon's handwriting on it. She picked it up and read:

_Khione,_

_I'm very sorry, but Zeus sent out telepathic summons to all members of the Council. I'm sorry to have to leave you alone like this, but I promise, I will return to you as soon as possible. Wait for me._

_With the greatest love,_

_Poseidon_

She frowned when she read the note. She had been hoping to spend the whole day with him, but she knew that he had no choice in the matter. Whenever Zeus called a meeting of the Council of Twelve, all members were required to show up in person, circumstances be damned. Worse still, at least to her, whenever Poseidon was called to those meetings, he usually ended up totally swamped with work, and she wouldn't be able to see for several weeks.

Despite this, she forgave him every time. He always kept his promises to return, and she was certain that he would keep this one as well.

-o-

Three weeks later, Khione still had not heard from Poseidon. Regardless, she was still certain that he would return to her. She was especially certain that they would be reunited today.

Zeus had sent out a message to all Olympians that there was to be an announcement of marriage between a Sea Nymph-turned-goddess and a member of the Council of Twelve. A Council member being getting married was a rare occurrence, one that was always celebrated by all. Naturally, as a woman, Khione couldn't wait to congratulate the happy couple, whoever they were.

As she stood in the large, but orderly crowd of her fellow gods and goddesses, she kept an eye out for Poseidon. He shouldn't have been too hard to find, considering he was literally _always_ shirtless, showing off his perfect abs and pectorals (not that she minded it of course). But she couldn't see him anywhere in the crowd. She was about to leave her spot to go and find him, but didn't get the chance to as Zeus appeared at the balcony above them all.

"Fellow Olympians!" he called out to his brethren proudly. "We are gathered here today to recognize the union of two of our people! The bride, the beautiful Goddess of the Sea, Amphitrite!" A woman stepped out onto the balcony, and stood at Zeus's left. Khione had to admit, Amphitrite didn't look half bad. She had long, glossy hair that was blue, like the far-off ocean, and wore a ceremonial wedding dress that she walked in with a certain grace that not many could pull off.

When Amphitrite stood at his side, Zeus continued. "And the groom, the Lord of the Sea, Poseidon!"

Khione suddenly felt her heart stop. She watched in emotional agony as Poseidon-_her_ Poseidon-stepped onto the balcony, shirtless as usual, and stood at his brother's right side. She felt her hands trembling as Zeus began the ceremony. She didn't hear the words. All she could do was watch as Poseidon and Amphitrite proclaimed love for one another, both looking sincere and honest.

As the ceremony finally ended, having lasted what seemed like an eternity to her, Khione covered herself in ice and shattered, teleporting herself to her bedchamber in her father's palace. She then lay into her bed and slowly cried herself to sleep.

-o-

A month later, she had realized something that made her panic. She was _late._ The last time she had slept with Poseidon must have been when it happened. She wanted to keep the child that she was inevitably going to bring into the world, but was terrified for a number of reasons.

First, she was afraid that seeing the child on a daily basis would only bring painful memories of the fleeting love she had once shared with the child's father. Second, her father would go into a blind rage when he found out. He was always the type to react first and think about the consequences later. This only left her with one option.

-o-

Seven-and-a-half months later, she stood at a rocky edge overlooking the sea. The ocean crashed violently against the rocks, creating white foam on the jagged stones. Those rocks looked just as deadly as the ocean itself.

She looked down at the bundle in her arms. Her father had reacted just as she suspected he would. He had ordered her "take care" of the newborn boy, or face his wrath. Terrified of her own father's rage, she obeyed him. So here she was, at the edge of a cliff, holding her newborn son in her arms, dreading what she was about to do.

Her son was sleeping peacefully, lightly snoring as he was within the realm of dreams. She smiled sadly at the child. "My son, Eumolpus. Forgive your mother for her weakness." She turned her vision toward the open sea. "Poseidon. If you can hear me, then hear this. This boy is your son. I beg of you to watch over him, and protect him as he grows. Help him become the great man that I wish for him to be." With that, she tossed baby Eumolpus into the churning sea.

She covered herself with ice and shattered away, reappearing in her bedchamber. In her one haven from her pain, fell to her knees as fresh tears streamed from her eyes, releasing the pain in her heart. It was then that she realized something: her heart. More specifically, her emotions, her attachments.

Those feelings were the source of the pain she now felt. It was because of these feelings that her heart had been shattered to countless, irreparable fragments. She knew what she had to do now.

End Flashback

"My heart became as my ice," Khione said in a dispassionate voice. "My soul became void of passion, my mind empty of emotion. I have not felt any emotion since that day. I have long since forgotten how to even so much as smile."

Rukia looked at Khione with shock sorrow in her eyes. "That's… so sad."

The Goddess of Snow couldn't help but nod. "Now that you know of the pain that I felt, you be able to rest easy once I have taken your life." She raised her hand, summoning another wave of snow, which reshaped itself into an icy blade. "Forgive me, Rukia Kuchiki."

Rukia immediately went into a fighting stance. "I'm going to have to ask for forgiveness as well, for when I defeat you, Goddess of Snow."

The two female masters of ice eyed each other carefully, neither wanting to make the wrong move. After several tense seconds, they charged toward each other, their swords ready for bloodshed.


	22. Ice Queen

The sudden, bitter cold that struck him had caught him off guard. Ichigo had been fighting off the monsters that now attacked Olympus. He felt Rukia's familiar spiritual pressure, along with the presence of another, unfamiliar source. That second energy felt particularly powerful.

"Be careful, Rukia," he said aloud, as though his friend were right next to him.

-o-

They were in a deadlock, their blades pushing against each other and sparking as they slid on each other's edges. The two women then forced themselves away from each other.

Rukia looked at the Goddess of Snow with a calculating look. Khione was much stronger than she seemed. She had expected that ice blade of hers to shatter at the contact with her own zanpakuto, but it was apparently far sturdier than she thought.

Khione returned Rukia's calculating expression. "I can tell that you are strong, Kuchiki. Tell me, where are you ranked in your Soul Reaper squad?"

Rukia was confused at the question, but answered nonetheless. "I'm up for consideration to become the lieutenant of Squad 13. Why do you ask?"

"I am merely curious," Khione said. She was silent for a moment. "I have studied Soul Reapers for some time you know." Rukia gave the goddess a surprised look. "I know of your four arts of combat: Hakuda, hand-to-hand combat, Zanjutsu, utilization of one's zanpakuto in battle, Kido, Soul Reaper magic, and Hoho, high-speed maneuvers. I paid particular attention to study of zanpakuto. You are currently using your zanpakuto's shikai state, am I correct?" Rukia gave an affirmative nod. "I see. Since you are to become a lieutenant, I can only assume that you cannot use what you Soul Reapers call a 'bankai.'"

Rukia didn't answer. She merely gave Khione yet another calculating look. She would need to finish this quickly. She went into a stance, holding Sode no Shirayuki close to her head, pointing toward the goddess. She braced herself and shouted, "Tsugi no Mai: Hakuren!"

A massive blizzard exploded from the tip of her blade, charging towards Khione. The Goddess of Snow merely stayed where she was. She simply looked at the snowstorm heading straight towards her. Without a motion of any kind, she simply said, "Stop." And the storm obeyed, stopping just before it struck her. It then began to orbit the goddess, taking on the form of a number of icy rings.

Rukia's eyes were the size of dinner plates. "How did you do that?"

"Did you forget already that I am the Goddess of Snow?" Khione asked emotionlessly. "Ice is my puppet, no matter its source. Your attacks are useless against me, Rukia Kuchiki."

_Damn,_ Rukia thought. Her most powerful techniques were rendered utterly useless at that moment. She had to think of something to do to beat this enemy. She could use a fire Kido, or sheathe her zanpakuto and give Hakuda a try, but she had no doubts that Khione would most likely know the faults of both Kido and Hakuda, having studied the Soul Reaper arts. Those options had officially been thrown out the window. She bit her thumb in an effort to calm herself down.

_Okay, Rukia,_ she told herself. _Just stay calm, and focus. Keep an eye on her. She must have some sort of weakness to exploit._ She watched Khione carefully, the goddess giving off no visible flaws. She had to have some kind of weak point.

"Are you ready to continue?" Khione asked. Even though they were enemy's, it was in her nature to show respect to others, regardless of rank.

Rukia put her hand back onto her zanpakuto's hilt. She nodded to the goddess, a look of determination in her eyes. She knew that if she wanted to end this soon, she would have to use _that_ technique, but she would need time for it to work.

The goddess returned Rukia's nod. "Very well, then." She raised her hand and said, "Blizzard." The ice rings surrounding her became snow again, and charged at Rukia. She leaped over the storm and rushed towards the snow goddess, ready to slash, only to be stopped by a barrier of ice. She quickly leaped away when she saw a series of spikes shoot out of the shield, and barely managed to escape impalement. She skidded across the air, stopped several yards away from Khione. She made another charge, making the goddess raise an eyebrow.

"A blind rush?" asked Khione. "A brave but foolish strategy." She was in the process of raising her hand to summon forth another blizzard, but the female Soul Reaper suddenly vanished in a blur of motion, making the goddess's eyes widened, showing that she was genuinely surprised for the first time in centuries.

The goddess turned just in time to deflect Rukia's attack from behind with her ice blade. The Soul Reaper leaped back and immediately went into a fighting stance.

"Impressive," Khione complimented. "You charged at me a second time, then used your Flash Step when I least expected it to try to attack me from behind. A brilliant strategy. Had it worked, this battle might have ended then and there."

Rukia smirked. "You flatter me. To be totally honest, I wasn't really expecting it to work. Though it did help me realize something." Khione gave her a look of slight curiosity. She then switched to a serious look and said, "You're primarily a long-range fighter. You're not used to close combat like I am. That's your weakness, isn't it?"

Khione looked at Rukia with no emotion. She said, "Yes. I am not proficient with close-quarters. You are certainly an intellectual young woman to have picked up on that so quickly." She looked up at the sky. For an instant, Rukia swore she saw a look of longing in the goddess's eyes. "I suppose since you have learned of this, I should no longer hold back." She looked at Rukia with those heartless eyes. "Behold."

The Goddess of Snow was then encased in her own ice. The frozen material was so dense, Rukia was completely unable to see what was happening inside. Suddenly, the ice cracked and shattered, revealing Khione in a new form.

Rukia's eyes widened at the sight. Khione was now an angel with ice wings giving her a ten-foot wingspan, complete with a halo of ice over her head. Her dress was replaced with a suit of icy armor, and her snowy hair was now made of _actual_ snow, with icy flakes descending from her head. Rukia thought that the entire look might just have been the very definition of beauty.

"This is my true form," the goddess said as emotionlessly as before. "As long as I am in this state, you cannot hope to overcome it." She was then suddenly only three feet from Rukia, her hand on the girl's forehead. "You are far too weak." With a simple, gentle push, she sent the younger girl flying straight towards the ground at near impossible speeds.

Rukia hit the ground hard, creating a pillar of dirt and rubble to shoot up from the ground. She watched in pain as Khione descended to the ground. When the goddess touched down, the ground beneath her froze solid in a perfect circle.

"I had thought that you were strong enough to endure that small portion of my strength," she commented. "I suppose I thought wrong." She reached out into the air and created a new ice sword from the water vapor in the air. She raised the blade above her head. "Goodbye, Rukia Kuchiki." But just as she was about to swing the blade down…

"You stay away from her!" shouted a voice that Rukia recognized. Suddenly, a stream of fire was launched at the Goddess of Snow, who quickly leaped out of the way. Rukia turned to see Icarus holding what looked like some kind of gun, with a strange contraption on his back. He was looking at her with concern. "You okay, Rukia?"

She stared at the boy, but nodded. "What are you doing here, Icarus?"

Icarus gave a smirk. "Well, Dad and I thought that you might need our help, so we got our gear and went out to find you!"

"Then where's Daedalus?" Rukia asked.

"Over here!" shouted the inventor's voice. Rukia turned to see him, and her jaw immediately dropped. He was inside a giant, mechanical exoskeleton, easily twenty feet tall. The left arm had something that looked like a modified Gatling gun, and the right arm was massive, double-edged sword that looked like it was designed to spin around. On the feet were large treads, probably for faster movement. The whole thing looked as though it were made of bronze.

"What the hell is that thing?" Rukia asked. She was utterly dumbstruck. _How did I not here that thing coming?_

"You like it?" Daedalus asked with a proud grin. Though Rukia looked more dumbfounded than impressed, he continued. "I call it Big Bertha! I've been working to perfect it for years! This baby packs more firepower than a small army!" He gave a hearty laugh as he showed off his invention.

Rukia sweat-dropped at the man's excited face. Though Daedalus _was_ more pleasant than Captain Kurotsuchi, he was just as crazy.

Khione watched the two newcomers. She recognized them quickly as Daedalus, Olympus's resident genius, and his son, Icarus. This could actually prove to be a challenge. Daedalus was a well-accomplished inventor of a large variety of machines that could easily be used for combat purposes. She was certain that that exoskeleton of his would be a problem.

Down on the ground, Icarus eyed Khione with some anger. "You're the one who hurt Rukia, right?"

The Goddess of Snow nodded. "I am. What of it? What is that girl to you?"

"Rukia's my friend!" Icarus shouted. "I won't let you hurt her anymore!"

"Icarus," Rukia said, getting the boy's attention. "Calm down. Daedalus." The inventor gave her his full attention. "I have an idea. I need you guys to distract her, while I prepare the coup de grace. Can you do that?"

Daedalus nodded with the utmost certainty. "Of course." He turned to face Khione. "Come on, Icarus. Let's toast her!"

"Right!" Icarus shouted in agreement. He held up his gun, aiming for Khione. The goddess raised an eyebrow at the two males. She had to admit, things were getting interesting.


	23. Enlightenment

Khione flew to the right to avoid Icarus's flamethrower. The boy was a crack shot with that accursed thing, with its incredible range and the added sights on the flamethrower's barrel. In her true form, fire was her only real weakness, but she was fast, so that didn't really matter here.

"Hold still so I can burn ya!" Icarus yelled in frustration. He didn't really like losing. "Dammit! Dad, I'm gonna fly to get closer!"

"Just be careful," Daedalus warned. He was down on the ground, protecting Rukia just in case Khione caught on to the Soul Reaper's plan. Icarus nodded and pulled a chord on the machine he had on his back. Instantly, a pair of metal wings shot of the sides, immediately granting him a six-foot wingspan.

The wings flapped as a fire erupted from the bottom of the pack, launching Icarus into the air. He flew up at incredible speeds, and was soon face-to-face with the Goddess of Snow. She showed no emotion, not even the slightest hint of surprise.

"You know, I'm really tired of that expressionless face of yours," Icarus said in an attempt to mock her. He received no response. He sweat-dropped at the lack of reaction. "I bet you're a real downer at parties. You're probably emo chick that always hides out in the background, hoping no one sees you. It's kind of pathetic really."

"A mere child such as you could not hope to understand one such as myself," Khione said in a coldhearted tone. "And I do not expect you to ever understand me. Nor would I want you to. Now leave before I am forced to freeze you and shatter your body into oblivion."

"Wow. That is _dark_," Icarus commented. He shrugged off Khione's threat and aimed his flamethrower at her. "Sorry, but I'm here to help Rukia, and you're not gonna scare me off!" He launched a stream of fire at the goddess, which she quickly evaded. She countered by sending a wave of snow and ice at the boy, but quickly melted it all away with his flamethrower.

She gave him an empty, but calculating look. "Do you realize that your emotions only make you weak? They only bring pain and suffering. The day I discarded my feelings for the world was the day I became strong. You would be wise to do the same, boy."

Icarus looked at her with amazement. Finally, he said, "Are you stupid or something?"

"Excuse me?"

"Emotions don't make people weaker! They make us stronger! And I bet that somewhere deep down, there's still a part of you that wants to feel again, to have people close to you. All you have to do is find the real you again!"

Khione looked at the boy with an unreadable expression. She shook her head in shame. "I should have known that a child would be so deluded. Whatever part of me wished for love died along with the rest of my heart. And soon, you and the rest of Olympus shall be buried within a frozen tomb for all time." She raised her hand and pointed a finger at Icarus. "Freeze."

Immediately, Icarus's wings started to ice over. His flamethrower was sharing the same fate, freezing up from the inside-out. Fortunately, he was still able to remain in the air.

"Now that you are immobile and no longer a true combatant…" Khione paused for a moment. "… You shall die. Goodbye, Icarus." She summoned a large ice spike that was aimed to impale the boy. As it headed towards him, he was about to cry out for help, but got it just before he did.

A series of golden energy pellets struck the giant spike, shattering it into harmless pieces. Khione turned her head toward the source of the energy pellets and saw that Daedalus had fired them from his exoskeleton's gun arm. She narrowed her eyes at the inventor. He seemed very protective of his son.

"Rukia, I'm going to help Icarus," Daedalus told the girl. She gave no response. She was too busy gathering and focusing her strength for the final blow. The inventor moved his exoskeleton towards the Goddess of Snow, aiming his Gatling gun at her. He started firing when he was in range, but the goddess easily dodged the volley of energy bolts.

_Come on, Rukia,_ he thought somewhat impatiently. _Hurry up! I can only keep this rate of fire up for so long!_

Rukia was carefully gathering her power, and focusing it in her palms. For this technique, one that Byakuya had taught her, she would need to have the utmost concentration. While building up her own power, she was quickly taking in whatever spirit energy around her she could get. She needed all the power she could get her hands on.

_Okay,_ she thought to herself. _I think that's enough._ She placed her hands in front of her in an X shape, her palms out facing Khione. "As the sun freezes over, the moon explodes in hellfire! The dark power falls from the heavens in the form of ashen snow!"

At the mention of snow, Khione turned her attention to Rukia. She immediately had one thought: _She must be preparing a Kido. I will not allow it._ She dashed towards Rukia, dodging Daedalus's shots as she sped towards the female Soul Reaper.

"The divine light shines upon the chaos!" Rukia continued the chant. "The heavenly rain cleanses the earth of sin and man! Rain, the darkened snows of hell! Ascend, the divine light of heaven!" A sphere of pure, golden energy formed in her hands. Khione had studied all the Kido chants, and she had never heard one like this before. She knew she had to stop it.

"Kuchiki Clan Hidden Hado!" Rukia shouted as a pair of golden, angel-like wings seemed to form behind her. "Kami no Satori!" Khione's eyes widened in shock at the resulting burst of golden light, the light hitting it creating the most gorgeous display of colors she had ever seen, more perfect than even the most incredible rainbows. At that moment, a single word passed through her mind.

_Beautiful._

The attack made contact, shattering Khione's ice armor and forcing her to revert back to her human form. All she could see could see before darkness consumed her vision was that perfect light.

-o-

She groaned lightly. She strangely felt… good. Warm. Safe. Was she dead? Was last attack truly so powerful that it could kill gods? That didn't matter to her though. What mattered to her now was where she would go. Would go to the dark depths of Tartarus for her betrayal? It seemed only right. Tartarus was a dark, horrible place where the only the most evil of all beings were sent. It was justified that she would be sent there, doomed to spend all eternity in blind darkness. It was more than she deserved.

She a hand on her forehead. Was the hand of Death? No. It was warm, gentle, soft. The opposite of the cold, rough, bony hands that one would expect from the Grim Reaper. She soon realized that her eyes were closed. She slowly opened them, wanting to see the owner of that warm hand.

"Oh," said a young woman's voice that she found familiar. "You're awake. That's good. We actually thought we'd lost you for a minute there."

The Goddess of Snow looked into the eyes of the voice's owner. "Rukia Kuchiki?"

Rukia smile down at the goddess. "Yes. How are you feeling, Khione?"

She didn't give an answer to that question. She looked around to see Daedalus kneeling above her, free of his exoskeleton, with his son next to him. The boy put on a big, goofy grin when she looked at him.

"Hey, Khione! Good to see you're awake!" he said happily. This confused her. Weren't they supposed to be enemies? Why were they so glad to see her well?

"Why?" she asked quietly. She looked straight up to the sky as Rukia gave her a questioning look. "Why did you not finish me? We are enemies. I was trying to kill you. So why?"

Rukia looked up into the sky as well. "That attack I hit you with was never meant to be used for destroying opponents. It was created to instead _enlighten_ them to a part of themselves that they had forgotten." Khione gave the girl strange look. "Kami no Satori. It's an ancient Kido spell known only to the Kuchiki clan. As per clan tradition, my older brother taught it to me when I became an official Soul Reaper." She smiled at the confused goddess. "Can you feel it? That tug in your heart?" She placed a hand over Khione's chest, over the goddess's heart. "That's what you had forgotten so many centuries ago. That's feeling."

The girl was right. Khione really did feel the tug that Rukia had described. She could remember all the days when she used to laugh with her brothers, the angelic heroes Zetes and Calaides. She remembered when she used to cry whenever she was sad, and how she had loved Poseidon before he was married to Amphitrite. She remembered how to smile. And so she did. Tears of both happiness and sorrow began to roll down her cheeks.

"I had forgotten what it was like," she said as her tears fell from her face and froze when they struck the ground. "To have a heart capable of feeling. I only remembered the pain my emotions brought me. But now I can remember the joy they brought me, too." She broke out into full-blown sobs, wiping her stinging eyes with her pale hands.

Rukia put a comforting hand on Khione's shoulder. Though the goddess couldn't speak past her choked sobs, she thanked the girl in spirit. She had pierced through the ice that had coated itself around her heart, setting the goddess's true self free from the frozen prison. She owed the young Soul Reaper girl everything now.

-o-

A/N: Translation for the curious:

Kami no Satori: Japanese for "Divine Enlightenment"

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get some tissues. (sniff) N-not because I'm crying or anything! (light sobbing)


	24. The Seamstress

A/N: 50 reviews! Holy crap, this story is more popular than I thought it would be :P I'm gonna be honest here, and sya that I originally didn't care about the reviews, but I've been reading them anyway, and I want to thank everyone who read and reviewed (or just liked) this story so far. And to make the thank you official, here's probably the longest chapter in the story so far! Enjoy!

-o-

Byakuya was leaping through the woods with Aphrodite comfortably on his back and Renji running at his side. They were heading for the Olympian Palace to deliver the goddess to safety before jumping back into battle. He suddenly stopped when he felt his sister's spiritual pressure spike. He looked into the pressure's general direction. She had apparently been forced to use _that_ technique.

When Renji caught up to his captain, he asked, "What is it, Captain? Is something wrong?"

"Byakuya?" Aphrodite asked. "Are you alright?"

Byakuya simply continued to stare off into the distance. Finally, he turned his vision back to his front and said, "It's nothing. Let's keep moving."

Not wanting to upset him, both Renji and Aphrodite dropped the issue. There were more important things to worry about anyway.

-o-

Athena and Orihime had sensed the Rukia's spiritual pressure combating that of a goddess. They also sensed that she had won. Orihime smiled with pride in her friend.

"She did it!" she said excitedly. "Rukia beat her opponent!"

Athena nodded. "That was the spirit energy of Khione, Goddess of Snow. Not an easy enemy to overcome." She turned around to face the horde that was blocking their path. "But that victory is only a twinkle of hope at this point. We're still under attack, and the enemy won't let up until Kronos is defeated."

Orihime nodded and went into a stance. Her teacher was right. As long as the Titan King was still alive and craving unjust vengeance, the monstrous horde would never stop.

"Let's do this!" she shouted as she and her teacher continued fighting off the beasts and demons under Kronos's thumb.

-o-

Arachne watched in disgust at the sight. Kronos's so-called army was failing miserably against a single goddess and her mortal student! This was an unacceptable outrage!

"Idiotic beasts," she muttered to herself. "Must I do everything myself?" She raised both her hands out in front of her. From the sleeves of her dress, swarms of spiders poured out. "Go, my children. Destroy them all. Bring me the head of the Goddess of Wisdom and Battle."

-o-

Orihime gave a relieved sigh when they managed to finish off the last of the group that had blocked their way to the Olympian Palace. When Athena turned to face her, she gave the goddess a thumbs up to show that she was alright and ready to go. Athena nodded and proceeded down their path once again, with Orihime following.

The Olympian City looked more like a ghost town now. Most of the noncombatant residents were most likely either at the palace being protected or… Athena really didn't want to think about that second option. The whole area was already depressing enough, with all the destroyed houses, burning bodies of both humans and monsters, and the large spider webs scattered throughout the-

Athena suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, making Orihime stop as well. Had she really seen that? She turned around, just to be sure. Her eyes widened when she saw that she was right: there were literally hundreds of spider webs all over the area that she and her pupil were in. There was just one thing wrong with the whole site: there were no spiders in Olympus, because there were no bugs for them to feed on. Her mind raced with all possible explanations, but only one truly stood out.

There was suddenly a noise from the right. "Orihime, get down!" She pushed the girl just in time to dodge the sticky mass that was sent their way. They both turned to find the source of the web. From behind a ruined building, a giant spider, about the size of a full grown lion, crawled out towards them.

It wasn't the only one, as a number of smaller, but still larger than normal variants crawled out of their hiding places. Some went down the sides of buildings or trees, while others burrowed out of the ground. Athena and Orihime were soon surrounded by entire swarm of eight-legged monsters, trapped back-to-back.

"W-what are these things?" Orihime asked. She tried to sound brave, but both her voice and her body were shaking. She _really_ didn't like spiders.

"Enchanted spiders," Athena answered. Her own voice sounded somewhat nervous as well. "The demonic 'children' of someone that I'm not exactly friendly with."

As if on cue, they heard a woman's voice chuckling gleefully. A swarm of tiny spiders emerged from all around them, gathering in a position that they could both see. The swarm looked as though its members were climbing up one another, and formed a general human shape. The swarm then scattered, leaving a lone woman in a black dress with a spider web design on the front.

"Hello, Athena," the woman said with a dark smile. "It's so… nice to see you again." She turned her eyes to Orihime. "I've noticed that you've taken on a student. How quaint. To be honest, I never would've expected one so cruel could actually _teach_ someone without placing some eternal curse on them first."

"Cruel?" Orihime asked. "Curse? Athena, what is she talking about? Who is that woman?" The goddess didn't answer. She merely hung her head in shame. "Athena?"

"It's not one of my proudest moments," Athena said with a tone of shame in her voice. She looked back up at the woman, but her attention was on Orihime. "Her name is Arachne. Millennia ago, she claimed to be able to weave better than any other seamstress. Even better than the gods."

"And I was right," Arachne said with a scowl. "You were all simply jealous of me."

Athena shook her head. She continued speaking to Orihime. "I'll admit, she was better than any other mortal when it came to weaving. But when she claimed to be better than the gods, I came up to her and told her just how wrong she was."

Flashback

Arachne was working on a new quilt that she was going to sell when there was a hard knocking at her door. She sighed with a contented smile. It was hard work being the best seamstress in the world. People were constantly making requests for her to make them quilts, shrouds, and other things that she could make perfectly.

She opened the door to her home, and saw an elegant woman who looked to be in her late twenties. She had long dark hair that she wore in a braided ponytail hanging over her right shoulder, and eyes that looked like storm clouds. She wore a beautifully designed woman's toga, with bronze armor on the shoulders.

"By the holy gods!" Arachne shouted at the sight of the dress's design. "That dress is absolutely luscious! Would you mind if I made one like it?"

"I think I would," the woman deadpanned at the seamstress. Arachne gave a disappointed sigh at that. She was being honest, though. She hadn't seen quality weaving like what was in that dress since her last masterpiece.

"Oh, well." She was silent for a moment, but quickly realized her lack of manners. "Oh! I'm sorry! Would you like to come in?"

"Thank you," the woman said as she stepped into Arachne's home. She looked around and saw that the walls were completely decorated with Arachne's works. "You certainly like weaving."

"Yeah, sorry if things seem a little messy. So, what can I do for you?"

"Actually," the woman said seriously. "I mostly just came here to talk to you about something."

Arachne gave the woman a confused look. "Really? What about?"

"I've heard that you claim to the best at weaving in the whole world. Even better than the gods."

Arachne suddenly felt nervous at the way this woman was speaking to her. She seemed genuinely irked about something. "Um… yeah, that's me all right."

"Well, Arachne," the woman said with an expression of disapproval. "I am Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Battle. And I say that no mortal being, no matter how great, can ever truly surpass the gods."

Arachne looked Athena with utter shock and pure awe. She started trembling. There was an actual goddess in her house?

She suddenly perked right back up. "That's amazing!" Athena backed up a little, surprised by the seamstress's reaction. "There's a goddess in my home! This is a huge honor! Oh, I'll have to give something as a tribute, won't I? Please wait here!"

Arachne zoomed off to another area of the house, leaving Athena with a dumbfounded look on her face. The seamstress returned just as quickly as she had left, carrying a large pile of quilts, shrouds, blankets, clothing, and just about anything else that one could make out of thread. She set the pile in front of Athena and held out a beautifully woven quilt with an image of a kingdom with buildings and temples made from gold.

"This one I made to show what I believe Olympus looks like!" Arachne explained. "I know it's probably not what your home really looks like, but I did my very best on it!" She handed the quilt to Athena, who looked at the piece of fabric in confusion. Arachne then picked up a dress and showed it off. "I was originally saving this for when I got married, but I can always make a new one! It's made from the finest threads and silk that I could find, and is as soft and light as a feather!"

The seamstress continued to place new works of hers onto the growing pile in Athena's hands, quickly explaining what they were made and what they depicted. Finally, Athena dropped the pile of fabrics in her hands and said, "Stop!" Arachne obeyed as she held up a shroud. "Look, I appreciate your eagerness to please the gods, but I'm not here for tributes! I only came to explain to you exactly why you're_ not _the greatest seamstress in the world!"

"W-what?" Arachne stammered. She then started waving her hand in a tut-tut motion. "Don't be silly! I know you're a goddess, but there's no way anyone could ever compete with me when it comes to weaving!"

Athena shook her head. "You're a fool. No mortal creature can surpass the gods, be it in battle or in weaving."

"You…" Arachne looked at the goddess in shock. Before she could say anything, there was another knock on the door. She turned to go answer it, saying to the goddess, "Excuse me."

She opened the door to find an old man waiting. He smiled at her, and she welcomed him in. she asked the old man, "What can I do for you, sir?"

"Well, you may have already noticed," the old man said with a sad smile. "But I believe that I shall die soon someday. I was hoping you could make a shroud for me, so that it may be placed over my body as I am buried under the ground."

"Of course, sir," Arachne said with a confident smile. As she walked past Athena, she suddenly had an idea. "I've got it!" The goddess looked at the seamstress with a raised eyebrow. "We both work on a shroud for this man! The one who makes the best shroud is the better seamstress!"

Athena mulled it over for a moment. It was actually a pretty good idea. At least then they would have some closure on the subject. She turned to the old man. "I take it you don't mind?"

The old man smiled. "It would be an honor to have two beautiful young women working on my shroud."

Athena nodded and turned back to Arachne. "Very well. We'll make a contest out of this. The winner is the best at weaving."

"Hang on a minute," Arachne said. "I think we should try to make this a bit more interesting."

"How so?"

"If you win, you'll get all my work, and I will never weave again."

"And if you win?"

Arachne thought that one over a bit. She then had a brilliant idea. "If I win, you have to make me immortal, so that I can spend eternity doing what I love."

Athena gave the conditions some serious thought. Either way, there were no negative effects to her, so that was good at least. Finally, she nodded. "I agree to your terms, Arachne. We'll spend a week working on our shrouds. I'll return here by the end of the week." The goddess then disappeared in a flash of bright light.

As the old man left, Arachne smirked. This would be a cake walk for her.

-o-

A week later, Arachne was awaiting Athena's arrival. The old man was there as well, waiting for the goddess to show herself. Arachne was beginning to get the idea that the goddess might've gotten cold feet. She wouldn't have blamed her though. She was up against the greatest seamstress in the world. It was only natural that the goddess would be a little nervous.

Soon though, Athena finally arrived. She entered Arachne's home, carrying a white shoulder bag. She had an unreadable look on her face.

"It's about time you showed up," Arachne said arrogantly. "I was starting to think that you might've gotten scared of losing."

Athena scoffed at the remark. "Don't be ridiculous. I was just making sure that my shroud was perfect." She faced the old man. "Forgive me for my tardiness, elder."

The old man smiled and nodded. "It's alright, Miss. Now, let's see what you girls have."

Arachne immediately held her shroud up first. "Tell me what you think! You can be as brutally honest as you want!"

The old man studied the shroud intently. It was elegantly designed, with a unique, intricate pattern emblazoned on it. The old man smiled admiringly and said, "It's a very well-done shroud. The pattern is marvelous and is most certainly the work of a master."

Arachne smirked cockily, already thinking that she had won. "You hear that, Athena?"

The goddess glared at the seamstress and said, "Don't be so arrogant. He has yet to see mine." She reached into her shoulder bag and pulled out her own shroud. She didn't say anything as she held it up the other two in the room to see.

It was beyond what was expected to have been seen. The shroud was woven from the finest silk that either of the two mortals had ever seen or felt. It depicted the image of silver eagle in mid-flight, carrying a bundle of arrows in one foot, and an olive branch in the other. The background of the image depicted a sun rising over a mountain, most likely Mt. Olympus.

The old man who was to receive the shroud could only say one word: "Beautiful." Athena offered the shroud to him. He eagerly accepted and left to show his family, leaving Arachne's behind, forgotten.

Arachne couldn't believe what had just happened. Had someone really just beaten her in a contest of weaving? She began trembling, finding it nearly impossible to accept the fact that she had lost.

"Well," Athena said as she was began collecting all of Arachne's works. "That's the end of that. Now remember your end of the bargain. You can never weave again."

Just then, Arachne snapped. She couldn't live without her weaving. It was all that she could really do well. Everything else she touched ended up a disaster. On complete impulse, with no control over herself, she said, "You cheated!" She immediately covered her mouth, instantly regretting her words.

Athena stopped when Arachne had accused her of cheating. She slowly turned her head in the seamstress's direction, a look of pure outrage in her eyes. "What did you just say?"

"I-I'm sorry!" Arachne said in a terrified voice. "Please! I didn't mean to say that!"

"You dare accuse me of cheated at something as trivial as a weaving contest?" the goddess said in a tone that made Arachne's entire body freeze up. "Why would an immortal goddess waste her energy cheating in a competition that any other being of equal rank could easily be crowned victorious in?"

"I…" Arachne tried to speak in her own defense, but she couldn't say any more than that. She saw Athena slowly raise her hand, pointing her index finger at the seamstress.

"Since you claim that I won by unfair means, then maybe you are true winner," Athena said. Suddenly, Arachne felt pain in her sides. "As we agreed, you shall spend eternity doing what you love. You shall live forever, weaving the last pattern that you ever created."

Arachne's eyes widened in pain as she felt four things burst from her sides. She could also feel her arms and legs changing painfully. She screamed in agony. Athena was doing this. Athena was cursing her. Athena was the source of this suffering.

"Live for eternity," Athena said darkly. "And weave your webs of arrogance and self-told lies. Live forever as a spider."

Arachne's vision became blurred. She could feel herself getting smaller. As she fell into unconsciousness, she cursed herself for her arrogance. No. She was in the right. It was Athena who was wrong. She now knew that the gods were anything but benevolent. They didn't deserve to be the greatest. As the darkness consumed her vision, she cursed Athena.

She swore vengeance.

-o-

"And now you know," Arachne said to Orihime. "You now know how cruel and despicable the gods truly are. They are undeserving of what they have." She glared hatefully at Athena. "Especially not _her_. The goddess who's made more enemies than even Zeus."

Orihime looked at Athena in shock. "Athena? Is all that really true?"

"Yes," Athena said in shame. "But that was a different time. I'm nothing like that anymore."

Arachne chuckled evilly. "And that, dear goddess, is why I no longer fear you. You're not the same frighteningly powerful goddess you once were." She spread her arms out, her army of arachnids ready to strike at their prey. "And I am no longer the frightened little seamstress from all those millennia ago. I should actually thank you for your curse. I am now the queen of all arachnids. They are my eternal servants." She smiled cruelly. "And my children are awfully hungry right now."

Athena and Orihime went into defensive stances, preparing themselves for battle. Arachne chuckled again. They wouldn't be able to hold off her swarm forever.

"Now, my children. Eat."


	25. Minerva

Orihime and Athena stood back to back, facing the horde of Arachne's "children." The spider queen herself was grinning with anticipation, ready see the target of her animosity torn to shreds.

"What are we going to do?" Orihime asked her teacher. Athena analyzed the situation. They were surrounded by an army of demonic, flesh-hungry, blood-thirsty spiders, with no visible way out. The goddess quickly tried to formulate a solid plan of action. If they just fought their way out, they would be torn apart sooner rather than later. But if she took too long thinking up a plan, it would give Arachne's horde the time they need to eat them alive.

_Come on, Athena, think,_ she ordered herself. She looked around for any kind of inspiration for a strategy. Seeing nothing, she sighed. _I'll have to use it._ "Orihime."

"Yes?"

"I'm about to do something crazy. I need you to trust me."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to enter my true form. I'll be exerting a lot of spiritual pressure, so brace yourself." Orihime nodded. Athena had explained to her during their days training what a god's true form was. She knew that Athena was about to unleash enormous power, so she did as her teacher instructed.

Athena began glowing then. Her spiritual power was rising exponentially at an alarming rate. The arachnids around them all stepped back slightly, recoiling at the appearance of the divine light. Arachne was surprised at first, but then smirked in amusement.

_Just as I expected,_ she thought. Before Athena could truly enter her godly form, the former seamstress shot her hands forward, launching a stream of webs from her palms. The webs wrapped around Athena with ridiculous speed, quickly trapping the shocked goddess.

Athena squirmed inside her cocoon as the glow of her true form receded. Orihime looked on in horror as her teacher kicked against the almost iron-like shell around her. Utterly frustrated at the futility of her resistance, Athena shouted out, "What _is_ this?"

"It's a special type of webbing that I call Imprison," Arachne bragged. "It creates a cocoon around the target, and then becomes harder than even the strongest metals. Originally, it would never have been enough to withhold a god, but Lord Kronos was able to enchant it with his own power. Now, not even a Greek god can escape it." The former seamstress then let out a fit of malevolent laughter. "No matter what you do, Athena, there's no way to escape it! And now…" She turned to Orihime, who was now shaking in fear. "I think I'll play with this sweet little girl. And let you hear her screams."

Orihime trembled slightly, but brought her short sword up and held it at the ready. "I-I'm not afraid of you! I'll beat you and find a way to free Athena!" That only made Arachne chuckle in mock amusement. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing really," Arachne said, still smirking. "You say you're not afraid. But look at you. You're trembling in fear like a fly caught in a web." The spider queen then sighed as though she were disappointed. "I guess I'll have to make you come to terms with the fact that you really are just scared little girl. Let me show you something… interesting."

Orihime's eyes widened as Arachne's body began to change. Her legs became spiderlike, as four more spider legs burst out of her side. The woman's lower body then grew larger and larger, becoming that of a spider. Arachne's face also took on a gruesome change, as her eye became totally black, and six extras opened on her forehead. She grew large, spiderlike fangs on either side of her mouth, and her teeth began jagged and razor-sharp.

"This is the reason why others fear me so," Arachne said in a hissing voice. "I am the one who birthed all arachnids. They are all truly my children. However…" She waved a hand over all the giant spiders in her private army. "Humans infected by my venom transform and become what you see around you. All of them were terrified of me at first, but now, they love me as their queen. And soon, so shall you, little girl."

Orihime looked around at the horde in shock. She was surrounded by an army of monsters that all used to be human. And now Arachne was going to add her to this horde.

"It won't be all bad, though," Arachne continued. "You'll be able to return to your human form at your leisure." She faced the largest of her followers. "Go ahead. Show her."

The spider gave the arachnid equivalent of a nod. It then began to change, like Arachne's transformation in reverse. The spider's middle legs shrunk into its body as it stood on the back legs. It slowly became more and more human, until its transformation was complete. Now, where there was once a spider, there was a tall, powerful-looking man. Fortunately, he was wearing clothes, but they looked like they belonged in the late 1800s.

"Before Her Majesty, Queen Arachne, found me, I was known as Jack the Ripper," the man said coldly.

"J-Jack the Ripper?" Orihime stuttered in panic. She had read about him. He was a murderer in London, England during 1888. He had killed five innocent people, maybe more, all of whom had been women.

"All of my little friends here all have varying stories," Arachne said. "I have plenty of servants who were once normal people, too, but most of them are known killers, whether they're trained soldiers or coldblooded murderers. But now, they follow me unquestioningly."

Orihime was now trembling much more violently. She was surrounded by hardened killers that were now equipped with natural weapons. She didn't stand a chance. She turned and looked at the cocoon containing Athena._ Please, Athena! You have to break free! I can't do this by myself!_

-o-

Inside the cocoon, Athena bit her thumb. She had heard every word outside of her prison. If she didn't get out soon, Orihime would become a mindless servant of Arachne. But she couldn't use _any_ of her powers inside that damned cocoon.

_Think, think, think,_ she commanded herself. She thought back to what Arachne had said about the web.

_"It's a special type of webbing that I call Imprison," Arachne bragged. "It creates a cocoon around the target, and then becomes harder than even the strongest metals. Originally, it would never have been enough to withhold a god, but Lord Kronos was able to enchant it with his own power. Now, not even a Greek god can escape it."_

_Wait,_ Athena thought._ No _Greek_ god can escape this thing._ She then cursed. Arachne was forcing the goddess to use another power without even knowing it. _I just know I'm going to regret this._ She closed her eyes and waited.

_Well, well,_ said a woman's voice inside her head. _It's been a while since we last spoke, sister dear. How long has it been? Two, three hundred years?_

_Shut up,_ Athena told the voice._ Normally, I would never want anything to do with you, but right now…_ Athena took a deep breath. _ I need your help._

The voice laughed evilly. _It's about damn time! You have no idea what it's like being stuck in some stick-up-the-ass broad's mind for who knows how long!_

_Just don't hurt Orihime. Understand?_

_Yeah, sure, whatever._

-o-

Orihime was about to just give up out of fear, when suddenly, a massive level of spiritual pressure slammed down on her, Arachne, and all of Arachne's servants. Caught completely off guard, she fell to her knees, eyes wide with shock.

"Wh-what in the world?" she asked shakily. She could feel the spiritual pressure coming from Athena's cocoon. What was happening in there?

"What is this?" Arachne demanded. "She shouldn't be able to release _any_ spiritual power! It's impossible for her to unleash this much!" Just then, the cocoon exploded, releasing a shockwave blazing red energy.

As the energy dissipated, they saw a woman totally different from Athena. Rather than dark hair and storm-gray eyes, the new woman's hair was light brown, almost blonde, and her eyes were a blood-red. She stretched her body, going into some _very_ provocative poses that neither Orihime nor Arachne ever would've expected the goddess to go into.

"Oh, man," the woman said as stretched her back, letting out a light cracking sound. "What a relief. My joints are all stiff after being cooped up for so long."

"Athena?" Orihime asked with a hopeful look. "Is that you? Is that your true form?" The woman gave Orihime a condescending look, making the girl shudder.

"Of course not, you idiot," she said with cocky smirk. "I'm not that goody-two-shoes wannabe of a goddess."

"Then just who the hell are you?" Arachne demanded. The red-eyed woman glared at the spider queen.

"Well, since you asked so nicely," the woman said with obvious sarcasm. "I am Minerva, the _Roman_ Goddess of Wisdom and Battle."

"R-Roman?" Arachne said nervously, her eyes wide. She had only heard of the Roman gods. She had heard how brutal they could be in battle, and how they were alternate incarnations of the Greek gods.

"That's right," Minerva grinned. "So your little 'Imprison' webs won't work on little old me." She reached out into the air and generated a sword from nothing. "Now then. How about we finish this meaningless little waste of time?"


	26. Arachnophobia

Zeus was making his final preparations for battle when he felt Athena's spiritual pressure suddenly alter. When realized the reason, he sighed with a disapproving look.

"For someone who knows every battle strategy known to mankind," he said as though she were right there next to him. "You can be such a fool, Athena."

-o-

Orihime looked at Athena-no, Minerva, in awe. The goddess had a kind of sinister elegance, like she kill anybody easily and look good doing it. The goddess looked down over at Orihime with a glare.

"What are you looking at, Boobzilla?" Minerva demanded more than asked. Orihime immediately turned her head away from her. Minerva just laughed at the girl. "Geez, you're such a coward." The goddess returned her attention to Arachne. "Just watch and learn, girl. You can't be a fighter if you're afraid to get your hands dirty."

With that, Minerva vanished from sight, reappearing instantly in front of Jack the Ripper. Before the centuries-old killer could react, the goddess swung her sword at his neck, quickly slicing his head off. All eight of Arachne's eyes widened at the sight. Her deadliest servant had been killed off in an instant.

"You bitch!" Arachne shouted as a new stream of webs shot out of her mouth. The webbing wrapped itself around Minerva's arm, but the Roman goddess only smirked.

"You're gonna need something a bit tougher than a spider web to beat me, ugly," Minerva bragged. As if to prove her point, she released some of her own spirit energy, causing the webs to disintegrate. Arachne cursed and launched out her Imprison webbing through both her mouth and her palms in a desperate attempt to trap the goddess. But as with before, Minerva simply blew her way out of the prison. This time though, she looked a bit upset. "Is that all you can do? Shoot webs at me?" She shook her head, chuckling. "You really are a one-trick pony, aren't you?"

The goddess then vanished from sight again. Arachne then heard the pained shrieks and cries of all her servants. She turned and looked to see that Minerva had actually slaughtered every single one of them. The spider queen was trembling now. She had never thought that any god or goddess could wipe out her entire private army just like that. She glared hatefully at Minerva, but knew she didn't have a chance. At least, when she was alone she didn't.

"I didn't think I'd have to call him in," the former seamstress muttered.

"What was that?" Minerva asked.

Arachne answered with an ear-piercing screech. The noise was so deafening, Orihime and even Minerva had to cover their ear desperately to keep their eardrums from popping. When Arachne ended the shriek, Minerva glared at her.

"What the hell was that?" she demanded.

"I was just calling my eldest son," Arachne said ominously. Then the ground shook as though there had been an earthquake. "And speak of the devil." The ground shook again, again, and again, before the source of the tremors finally came into Orihime and Minerva's view. "Please, allow me to introduce you to my first child."

Before them stood the massive spider that had initiated the attack on Olympus. It stood easily at fifty stories high, with eight, gigantic black eyes glaring down at them. It hissed hungrily, as though they were tiny bugs caught in its web. Arachne smirked cockily and said, "Meet my most powerful child. His name is Timor."

Minerva simply gave the giant arachnid a disgusted look. "You know, I've never really told anyone this, but I _really_ hate spiders." She went into a stance as Timor raised a massive leg and swung it down at the goddess. She simply leaped up into the air and hacked the leg off of its body, the severed body part crashing into the ground. She landed back onto the ground with a graceful _thud_. "This is gonna be way too-"

The giant spider screeched loudly as it regrew its lost limb. Minerva's eyes widened at the sight. It looked as though there were millions of tiny spiders regenerating the body part. She then heard a sound in the direction of the severed leg. When she turned to see it, she gasped the leg fell apart, becoming a swarm of eight-legged monsters.

"What the hell?" the goddess said in shock she turned her attention back to Arachne, who was laughing madly.

"As you can see," Arachne began to explain. "Timor's entire body is actually made up of countless smaller spiders. These spiders breed at a rapid rate, allowing my son to regrow lost parts of his own body instantly. And the severed parts also disintegrate into a swarm of those smaller spiders."

Orihime's eyes widened at that revelation. If that was all true, then that meant that Arachne had a giant, invincible monster on her side. She looked at Minerva nervously, hoping the goddess had a plan.

"Hey, Boobzilla," the goddess said.

"Y-yes?" Orihime replied obediently.

"I'll take care of the big guy. Think you can handle Arachne on your own?" Orihime looked at the goddess in surprise. Earlier, Orihime had been visibly trembling in fear. Did Minerva really think that she was strong enough to handle the spider queen one-on-one?

"I-I think so." That was all Minerva needed to hear. The goddess immediately leaped into the air and stood in the sky.

"Come on, Spidey!" the goddess taunted. "Let's see if you can catch me!" She instantly dashed away, with Timor following her.

Arachne watched as the goddess zoomed away with her son chasing her. "So, you're leading him away, are you?" Arachne chuckled ominously. "I guess that doesn't really matter." She gave Orihime her full attention. The girl was standing with her short sword ready. "It gives me more time to toy with you!"

Orihime eyed the spider-woman carefully. She was slowly calming down, and trembling less. _Don't be afraid,_ she told herself._ You can do this now. Just stay calm._ "Okay, Arachne. I'm ready to face you."

Arachne looked at the girl with surprise. She had been a truly frightened little girl before. But now, she was standing with a look of determination in her young, gray eyes. _Interesting._ "Before we go any further, may I ask you a question?"

Orihime gave the spider-woman a surprised look. "What is it?"

"Simple curiosity. How did you go from a terrified little bug, to a brave young woman, ready to fight? Why are you suddenly so willing to fight back?"

Orihime gave that some thought. "Well, to be honest, I've never really liked spiders. To be surrounded by so many gigantic ones made me panic." She went back into a steady fighting stance. "But I'm ready to fight now. I told Minerva I could beat you, and I won't let anyone think of me as a liar."

"I see," Arachne said with a sinister smile. _So she's an arachnophobe, is she? Fun._ "How about we begin? We'll see just how brave you really are, little girl!" The spider queen then charged at Orihime, with the young girl standing at the ready.

-o-

A/N: This chapter seems a little short to me. Oh, well. Hope you all liked it.


	27. Human

Minerva ducked out of the way of another of the giant spider Timor's attacks. She resisted the urge to slice the spider's leg right off, knowing it would just be a waste of energy. She sneered at the oversized bug, trying to come up with a plan.

_Technically, it's not a bug,_ said Athena's voice from inside their shared mind. _It's an arachnid._

_Who the hell cares?_ Minerva pointed out angrily. _If it has more than four legs, it's a bug!_ The Roman goddess was so busy arguing with her Greek half, she didn't notice Timor launching a string of webs from his mouth. The silk-like threads quickly wrapped around the goddess's torso, temporarily trapping her.

"Ugh! Man this stuff is gross!" she complained. She easily tore out of it and glared at the giant spider with utter disgust. "You are one ugly mofo, you know that?" Timor shrieked, possibly out of anger. "Did he seriously understand that?"

_Apparently, _Athena confirmed. She was silent for a moment, then had an idea. _Maybe if you make it angry enough, it'll get sloppy, and you can try to attack its brain._

Minerva reluctantly nodded. She hated having to go with Athena's plans, she couldn't really think of anything herself. "Well, let's do this."

-o-

Orihime and Arachne eyed each other warily. Both of them were waiting for their opponent to make the first move. Athena had taught Orihime that she must study and analyze her target before attacking. Apparently, Arachne used the same method. It was probably some kind of spider thing.

Eventually, Arachne's patience wore out. She spat a stream of webs at the red-haired girl, quickly trapping Orihime's legs. Orihime almost panicked, but remained calm and swiftly cut the webbing away just in time to avoid another shot of webs aimed for her face.

It went on like that for several minutes. Arachne launched webs at Orihime, only for the girl to deftly evade them. In frustration, Arachne shouted, "Is this all you can do? Jump and dodge? Stop running and show me what Athena taught you already, so that I know that I'm not recruiting a pathetic weakling into my horde's ranks!"

Orihime turned around to face the spider queen, her left hand on one of her hairpins. As yet another stream of webbing flew towards, she shouted, "Santenkesshun! I reject!" Immediately, a triangular shield appeared, blocking the sticky substance.

"What the?" Arachne said intelligently. "Is that a shield?"

"Kotenzanshun! I reject!" When Orihime said that, another shield appeared, but this headed straight for Arachne. The spider-woman's eyes widened at the large flying disk that was coming straight towards her head. She quickly leaped out of the way, dodging the attack. The shield then returned to Orihime, retaking its hairpin form.

"What the hell was that?" Arachne demanded. "Those weren't Greek spells. What were they?"

"Shunshunrikka," Orihime explained. "A power unique to me. I can create a bunch of different shields for different effects."

"So," Arachne muttered. "It's a power that only you possess?" She released a greedy grin. "Now I _really_ want to recruit you!" She opened her jaw and palms, webs shooting out and wrapping themselves around Orihime. "Let's see how _you_ enjoy my Imprison webs, little girl!"

At first, Orihime panicked and kicked and struggled, but she soon calmed herself down, reminding herself that Athena-er, Minerva (she was still rather confused by that) had managed to break free from this trap. She just had to think of a way out.

"Do you know what's going to happen next, little girl?" Arachne asked with a sinister chuckle. Orihime quickly realized what Arachne meant. The spider queen was going to inject her venom into and make her mindless puppet.

_I can't let that happen!_ She quickly thought up a plan and acted immediately. "Kotenzanshun! I reject!" Tsubaki's spell worked wonder on Arachne's Imprison webs, cleaving a hole out of the cocoon and forcing the spider queen herself to back up in surprise.

"I-impossible," she muttered as she watched Orihime climb out of the ruined shell. "Unique power or not, my Imprison is harder than the toughest metals! You shouldn't have been able to break through it so easily!"

"Really?" Orihime asked with genuine innocence. "I didn't know that I couldn't do that. Is there a rule book that I should read?"

Arachne snarled at the girl. "You dare mock me? Forget recruiting you! I'm just going to kill you here and now!" The spider queen charged at Orihime, ready to tear the girl apart.

Orihime yelped and quickly leaped out of the way. As she continued to evade Arachne's attacks, she watched her enemy closely. She couldn't find any physical weaknesses, but she could see that the spider-woman apparently had a rather short temper. She could probably use that to her advantage.

To test her theory, Orihime shouted, "You think you're so scary? I've seen cheap movie monsters scarier than you! Not only that, they were also better-looking!"

"Little bitch!" Arachne screamed as she shot even more webs from her palms. Orihime jumped out of the way and blew a raspberry at the spider queen. Arachne's eye twitched in anger. "I'll kill you like a fly, you little bimbo!" She started spraying webbing all over the place, trying to catch Orihime and failing miserably.

"I know five-year-olds with better aim than you!" Orihime shouted as she ducked a shot. "Missed again!"

"Hold still so I can kill you, you brat!"

"But that would defeat the whole purpose of me trying to beat you!" Orihime said with a smile. She was actually enjoying taunting Arachne.

"I'll kill you!" Arachne shouted back. She attempted another charge, but she couldn't move. She looked down at her feet and found that she had accidentally trapped herself in her own webs. "What the?"

"It's amazing how anger can blind people," Orihime pointed out. She was now standing in front of Arachne with a serious expression. "In the human world, we have a saying: revenge is like a double-edged sword. Your enemy may fall, but you'll most likely end up cutting yourself in the process."

Arachne glared hatefully at the girl. "So what are you going to do now that I'm helpless? Kill me? That doesn't seem too noble, you know."

Orihime shook her head, making the spider queen raise a confused eyebrow. The redhead smiled and said, "I'm going to cure you of your curse."

"You're going to what?"

Before anything else was said, Orihime raised her hands. "Sotenkishun. I reject." Two of her little sprite, Shuno and Ayame, flew from her hairpins and floated on either side of Arachne, who stared at the little floating things in shock. An oval-shaped barrier then formed around the spider-woman.

It was a difficult feeling to describe. When that barrier surrounded Arachne, she initially thought it was some kind of killing blow. But when she felt some kind of soothing energy flow into her, she let a feeling of calm enter her mind. The light from the barrier was warm and comforting. She could feel her body changing, but she refused to acknowledge it. As that warm feeling consumed her entirely, she slowly drifted off into sleep.

-o-

Minerva had tried angering the massive spider, but it apparently had a great level of patience. Either that, or she was wrong and the thing couldn't understand a damn word coming out of her mouth. She was quickly losing her own patience.

"That's it!" she shouted. "I've been holding back long enough! Time to go all out!" She was then surrounded in a divine, golden glow, which quickly dissipated, revealing her true form. She now had massive owl wings on her back, and her feet had become owl-like talons. Her nails became three inches long and sharpened into claws that looked ready to tear through everything. "Come on, Spidey! Show me what you've got!"

Timor roared as he was about to charge at the full-power goddess, but abruptly stopped… and fell over on his side. He didn't move after that.

Minerva sweat-dropped. "Is he… dead?"

_Looks like it,_ Athena's voice said with pride. _Orihime must have beaten Arachne. Which means that your help is no longer required… sister dear._ Minerva could hear Athena laughing in the back of her mind.

"Damn it all," she muttered as Athena retook control.

-o-

Arachne groaned as she picked herself up off the ground. She felt dizzy, but at the same time, she felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She looked down at her body to find that she had reverted back to her human form. "What happened?"

"I cured you," she heard Orihime's voice answer. She turned to see the young redhead smiling at her.

"What do you mean 'cured?' I was never sick!"

"Technically you were. You were cursed. I used my Sotenkishun technique to reject your curse. So now you're human again."

Arachne looked at the girl with a shocked expression. She tried to shoot a web out of her palm, but got nothing. She tried to morph into her monstrous, half-spider form, but received no reaction. "But… how? How the hell did you remove my curse?"

Orihime then went into a brief lecture about how her powers were based around rejection. Her Sotenkishun wasn't just a way to heal people: it could entirely reject events, removing any injuries, illnesses, or, of course, curses. The former seamstress could only stare at the girl in utter shock. Was this girl really powerful enough to actually break a curse set by an immortal goddess?

"You would've been better off killing me," Arachne pointed out. She didn't bother to attack Orihime. In her current state, she wouldn't have too much of a chance. "But I need to say… thank you."

"Don't worry about it," Orihime said with a kindhearted grin.

When Athena returned (Orihime was thankful that it wasn't Minerva again) Orihime quickly explained the situation to her. The goddess looked at the now powerless Arachne, who was just sitting on the ground staring up at the sky.

"What are you going to do with her?" Orihime asked her mentor. Athena thought for a moment, then turned back to her student.

"Leave her for now," she said. "Without the powers she gained from her curse, she's harmless. We'll come get her after this whole mess with Kronos is sorted out." Orihime nodded and was ready to leave whenever Athena was. The goddess turned her attention to Arachne. "Stay put, or I'll send out a manhunt for you."

"Yeah, yeah," Arachne said with a wave of her hand. She watched as the other two women headed off for the Olympian Palace. She sighed out loud as she thought about what Orihime had done for her. She now knew that she owed the girl big time. "Geez. I hate owing debts." She laid back onto the ground, staring at the sky. Today had definitely been different at least.


	28. Rivals

Ichigo had just hacked his way past another team of monsters. Those things seemed to just come out of nowhere! Whenever he turned a corner, there was yet another force of teeth, claws, and butt-ugly faces.

"Dammit!" he shouted as he came across another horde. But this one actually made him stop. He looked at them in shock. "What the hell?" All the other monsters he had fought were hideous amalgamation of different creatures, or were like mutant humanoids. But these looked like… perfectly ordinary wolves.

At least, they _looked_ normal. He could sense that at least one of them had some kind of weird power. He went into a ready stance, watching the wolf pack cautiously. Soon, one of the wolves, a black-furred animal that Ichigo guessed must've been the pack's alpha, padded up to the front of the crowd, glaring at Ichigo. The beast seemed to be interested in him. Its yellow eyes watched with the curiosity that a researcher would have.

"What is your name, human?" the wolf asked in a man's voice.

Ichigo's jaw slammed into the dirt. "You can talk!?"

"I asked you a question," the wolf said calmly. He was apparently used to this. "Now answer me."

"Um… Ichigo Kurosaki. And just what the hell are you?"

The wolf snorted at him. "I am the great King of Wolves." The wolf then stood up on its hind legs, its forelegs morphing into human arms. Its body transformed into that of a dark-haired man with wild yellow eyes. He wore what seemed to be black Greek armor. "My name is Lycaon."

-o-

"El Directo!" Chad bellowed as he launched a bolt of spirit energy into the face of a Cyclops. He could hear Uryu blasting away at the other monsters that surrounded them.

"This doesn't look good," Uryu said as he released another volley of arrows. "I can sense Ichigo's spiritual pressure. He's facing off against someone with incredible power. He may not last long."

"Hn," Chad grunted his agreement. Ichigo was tough though. Uryu wasn't giving the orange-haired teen enough credit. As he smashed the head of a chimera, he felt a familiar spiritual pressure heading for Ichigo's position. "Uryu."

"I know," the Quincy replied. "That spiritual pressure. I haven't felt it in a while, but it's definitely familiar. It has to be…"

-o-

Ichigo leaped out of the way of another pounce from a member of Lycaon's pack. These things just didn't quit! They had to be wearing him down so that their leader could finish him off.

"Is this all you can do, Kurosaki?" Lycaon said as the teen ducked under another of his wolves. "You can't just dodge and evade forever. You have to try to attack eventually."

Ichigo scowled at the wolf-man. "You want me to attack? Fine!" He swung his sword, aiming to kill one of the wolves. But before his attack landed, the wolf was suddenly kicked aside by some unseen force. The same thing happened to all the other wolves.

Lycaon looked on in surprise. At first, he thought that Ichigo had done all of that, but the orange-haired teen looked just as surprised as the Wolf King. He quickly realized that only one person was capable of moving that fast. He chuckled to himself. "It's been a while, hasn't it, Kitty-Cat?"

Ichigo's eyes widened when he saw who had helped him. "Y-Yoruichi?"

"Hey, Ichigo," said the Flash Master herself. She had on her usual smirk that normally spelled doom for her enemies. "Haven't seen you in a while." She then gave the Wolf King her full attention. "And you're right, Lycaon. It's been… what? Two hundred years or so?"

"Yoruichi, when the hell did you get here?" Ichigo asked.

"When I got back to the Urahara Shop, Kisuke filled me in on the situation. I decided to come along just to make sure you didn't screw up. Who would've thought that I would appear in the middle of a war?"

"Well then how do you know him?" Ichigo asked, pointing at Lycaon almost accusingly.

"We met about three hundred years ago," Lycaon explained. "We hated each other at first, but soon we became friendly rivals of a sort. Every time we encountered each other, we fought. I believe the current score is 50-50. Fifty wins, fifty losses each."

"And I'm about to score my fifty-first win against you," Yoruichi said confidently. She turned to Ichigo. "Get going. Things are gonna get a little hectic around here." Though a little reluctant at first, Ichigo nodded and ran off.

"Just don't get yourself killed!" he shouted as he left Yoruichi alone with the wolf pack.

The Wolf King gave the dark-skinned woman a look of melancholy. "You realize that this won't just decide which one of us is stronger, right?"

"I'm well aware of that," Yoruichi assured. She went into a fighting stance. "This is a war. We'll be playing for keeps. The winner is the strongest."

"And the loser," Lycaon said as he went into a stance and telepathically ordered his wolves to stay out of the fight. "Dies."

Yoruichi smirked at that. "That's what you said the first time we met, word-for-word."

"I know."

The two gave each other serious looks. As the tension mounted between them, Lycaon's wolves looked back and forth between the two fighters. They were wondering just who would win: their king, or his catlike rival.

Yoruichi rushed at her opponent. "Let's finish this once and for all! Little Puppy-Dog!"

Lycaon did the same. "I couldn't agree more! Little Kitty-Cat!"

The two rivals' fist made contact with each other. Their rivalry would finally come to an end.

-o-

A/N: Okay, this seems like another short chapter. Oh, well. Anyway, before anyone asks, no, Lycaon is not based on me. He is an actual character from Greek mythology. He was cursed by the gods to be wolf for all eternity after killed, cooked, and served his own children tot he Olympians when they visited him. I only made him my namesake because his name (pronounced Ly-KAY-on) is awesome. Anyway, hoped you enjoyed.


	29. The Tale of Cat and Wolf

The fighters leaped away from each other, then rushed again. Their attacks were barely visible blurs as they threw punches and kicks at each other with unholy speed.

Yoruichi swung a kick at Lycaon's head, but he caught her leg in his hand. He countered with a punch aiming for her face, but she ducked under it. They grinned at each other as they fought. Lycaon was the only person fast enough to give Yoruichi a challenge, and it was the same vice versa. They leaped away from each other, still smiling.

"You've certainly gotten better," Yoruichi complimented her rival.

The Wolf King chuckled. "I can say the same about you. You've really sped up a bit." he gave her a cocky smirk. "Or is that speed the result of the fear of getting eaten by the Big Bad Wolf?"

The former leader of the Stealth Force laughed at that. "Of course not. You don't really think that I'd be afraid of you, do you?"

Lycaon just watched her. She was still just as carefree and wild as when he had first met her. "You haven't changed a bit, have you?" His voice sounded sad, as though he didn't want to fight her. This made Yoruichi raise an eyebrow at the wolf-man. "It's been about four hundred years since we first met. Since then, for the next century, we challenged each other a total of one hundred times. After that, we lost contact for three hundred years." He went quiet for a moment. "Tell me, did you ever accomplish your dream?"

Yoruichi looked surprised by this, and blushed a little when she realized what he was talking about. Regardless, she answered honestly. "No. Not yet."

Lycaon sighed sadly. "It's a shame then. If I win, you'll never be able to reach that goal." He went into a fighting stance then. "You can still run you know. You'll live long enough to tell that idiot how you feel about him that way."

Yoruichi laughed at him. "Sorry, but you know that I've never been one to run from a fight."

"I know," the Wolf King said sadly. "Prepare yourself, Cat." He charged at her, with her doing the same.

Flashback

Yoruichi Shihoin had finally been made the lieutenant of Squad 2, and was now on a mission to the human world to investigate an abnormal fluctuation in spirit energy somewhere in the Kanto region of Japan. She had been expecting something a little more dynamic than that for her first mission as a lieutenant, but she supposed that beggars couldn't be choosers. She was currently in a small town in the middle of nowhere, looking for any sign of the source of the unusual spiritual pressure.

"Man, I'm bored," she complained out loud. She wasn't worried about other people hearing her. In her spirit form, no human should be able to see or hear her. She looked around at the crowd in town. They were apparently having some kind of festival. She paid special attention the game where people could catch goldfish in those little nets. She quickly shook her head when she discovered she was drooling. "Dammit, Shihoin, focus on the mission!"

She walked past all the attention-grabbing festival attractions, hoping to get out of here soon so that she just go home. She was just about to give up on this town and move on to the next when she felt a sudden wave of spiritual pressure, followed by what sounded like a child's screams. She immediately went in the direction of that scream, hoping that she wouldn't be too late.

-o-

The young boy looked on in fear at the huge wolf in front of him. The beast had just killed off a monster that was about to eat him. When the boy tried to thank the wolf, it snarled at him.

"Don't touch me, brat," the wolf said, making the boy jump in surprise. "And don't thank me either. I didn't save you because I like humans. I just needed to kill something."

"But, you saved me," the boy said with a scared, but grateful smile. "You have to let me thank you somehow."

"I said NO!" the wolf snapped, clamping his jaws together just an inch away from the boy's face. Out of nowhere, there was massive pain in his side, and he was sent skidding on the ground several feet away from his original position.

"You'll stay away from this boy, Fido," said a woman's voice. The wolf looked up to see a dark-skinned woman with short purple hair and yellow, catlike eyes. She had on what looked like a black kimono of sorts that left her back exposed, and had a small sword strapped onto her lower back. "Now, unless you want to get your ass kicked, I suggest you leave."

The wolf glared at her, but quickly left, faster than any other wolf. Yoruichi sighed in relief, and looked at the boy, who was staring at her. She looked down at his chest and saw a Chain of Fate over his heart.

She knelt down in front of him and said, "Don't worry, kid. That wolf can't hurt you now."

The boy shook his, which made Yoruichi's eyebrow rise. "That wolf wasn't trying to hurt me. He saved me from a big monster that was trying to eat me."

Yoruichi's eyes widened at this. "Wait. Did the monster have a big hole in its chest?" The boy nodded, making the Shihoin heiress's mind race. A wolf was able to take down a Hollow on its own? How was that possible? Then a thought occurred to her. She face-palmed at herself. She had probably just chased off the source of that unusual spirit energy that she had searching for.

She sighed to herself. "Well, first thing's first." The boy gave her a curious look. "I'll send you to the afterlife and track down that wolf."

"Hey, lady?" Yoruichi gave the boy her full attention. "When you find that wolf, can you tell him that I said thanks for saving me?"

Yoruichi smiled and nodded. "Of course." She then performed a quick konso on the boy and ran off to find that wolf.

-o-

Lycaon looked at the reflection of his lupine form in the surface of the pond that he had been living by. He had come to Japan because he had heard that it can be a very soothing place to live. But it seemed that no matter where he went, violence would always find him.

He growled when he caught a scent in the air, and turned to see that dark-skinned woman from earlier. "What do you want, cat-eyes?"

She just watched him with a serious look. She seemed somewhat interested in him. "Don't worry, I'm not here to fight. I was sent here to find a source of abnormal spirit energy in this region."

"Abnormal?" Lycaon questioned. When the woman nodded, he chuckled. "Well, that certainly sounds like me. I'm anything but normal."

"Considering the fact that you're a talking wolf, I'll take your word for it," the woman joked with a grin. "Seriously, though, I can't just let you wander around the humans like you've probably been doing. Your spiritual pressure could adversely affect them."

"Don't worry about that," the cursed wolf said quietly. "I don't usually spend a lot of time among humans anyway. Even in my human form they stink of fear of me."

"You have a human form?" she asked curiously. Lycaon nodded, and before she could ask, he morphed into his human appearance.

"My name is Lycaon," he said as he gave her a look that said that he was ticked off about something. "I'm the very first werewolf in existence."

"The first of your kind, huh?" the woman said. She was apparently not surprised that he had gone from a wolf to a man like that. She must have nerves of steel. "Not bad. My name is Yoruichi Shihoin. I'm a Soul Reaper. Specifically, I'm the lieutenant of Squad 2."

"Soul Reaper?" Lycaon parroted. "So why are you here? Are you going to kill me and take my soul?"

"Not unless you try to kill me first." Yoruichi gave the wolf-man a serious look. "You might not be human, but you seem fairly harmless."

"Don't patronize me, cat-stink," Lycaon spat. Before he knew it, a foot was rammed right into his face.

"What did you just call me, dog breath?" Yoruichi demanded.

"You heard me!" Lycaon shouted, covering his bleeding nose. "You stink like a cat that just climbed out of a litter box!" The two glared at each other with lightning in their eyes. They leaped away from each other, watching one another warily. They soon charged each other.

-o-

Yoruichi and Lycaon were both lying on the ground, panting and covered with bruises and scratches. Their fight had been a draw. Right now, they were just staring up at the sky.

"You're not too bad a fighter," Lycaon commented. "You're the only person who's ever been able to keep up with me in a fight."

"I could say the same about you," Yoruichi said with a grin. "You may be annoying, but you don't seem too bad a guy." They just stayed on the ground for a while, until Yoruichi finally got up. "I have an idea."

"That's a shocker," Lycaon said sarcastically.

Yoruichi chuckled at his dry humor. "Why don't you come with me to the Soul Society? If you do, at the very least, you could learn how to keep your spiritual pressure in check so that you don't accidentally influence normal people."

Lycaon thought about that for a moment. It wasn't too bad a suggestion. He hadn't heard of this "Soul Society" before, but Yoruichi seemed pretty adamant about it. "I don't have to die to get there, do I?"

"Of course not," Yoruichi assured him. "All you need my guidance through the Dangai, and you'll be golden. Once we get there though, we'll just have to the Head Captain's approval for this before we do anything else."

Lycaon sat up gave the dark-skinned woman a cocky smirk. "Just so long as I get to fight you again. As a wolf, I've got to assert my dominance."

"You got it," Yoruichi agreed. She didn't mind fighting him again. She opened up a Senkaimon then, and the pair walked through.

-o-

Ten years later…

Lycaon was napping comfortably on a bed of grass. He was having some rather pleasant dreams before he heard voices. He was too tired to do anything about them though. He didn't really care either. That is, until a bucket full of ice-cold water was dumped onto his face. He shot up, sputtering and spitting out water. He could now here people howling with laughter.

"You were right, Yoruichi!" said the voice of Kisuke Urahara between fits of laughter. "His reaction was hilarious!"

"I told you so!" Yoruichi declared proudly. When she saw Lycaon fuming at them, she just laughed and said in a sickeningly cutesy voice, "Oh, what's the mattew, Wycaon? Is the big, bad doggie afwaid of a wittle bit of water?"

"I'm going to kill your sleep, you stupid wannabe cat," Lycaon said dryly. "You realize that, right?"

"That's what you say all the time, Puppy-Dog," Yoruichi pointed. She quickly dodged a punch from the wolf-man.

"How many times have I told you not to call me that?" he asked with an angry look that made Yoruichi chuckle.

"Counting just now? About fifty-three, give or take." She had a cocky grin on her face that her look like she thought he could never make a comeback at her jokes.

"I'm surprised you can count that high, Kitty-Cat," Lycaon said snidely. Yoruichi glared at him then, making him smile almost arrogantly. Just as he hated being called Puppy-Dog, she hated being called Kitty-Cat. "What's wrong? Did I hit a nerve or two?"

At that point, Kisuke, who felt very left out, could only watch as his two friends started their eleventh fight. _I really wish these two would just relax._

-o-

Ninety years later…

Lycaon, Kisuke, and Yoruichi were taking a break after several long hours of training, just lying on the ground, watching the sky as the clouds floated through great, blue realm above them. Lycaon had actually enjoyed his past one hundred years here in the Soul Society. He enjoyed spending days with Yoruichi and Kisuke, whether it was for training, helping them with their missions, or just lounging about as they were now. He couldn't remember a time when he had been happier.

Kisuke stood up and stretched, letting out a loud yawn. He smiled at his friends and said, "I'd better get going, guys. My captain will throw a fit when he finds that I was gone longer than told him I would be. I'll see you tomorrow." And he headed off.

Yoruichi watched him leave. She had actually been hoping that he would stick around longer, but she knew he had a point. When he was gone, she turned her head to Lycaon. "You wanna go for another match, Puppy-Dog?" For a few moments, she got no response. "Are you alright, Lycaon?"

The wolf-man continued staring at the sky. "Yoruichi… have you ever had a dream for your future?"

Yoruichi was a little caught off guard by the question, but she answered. "Of course I have? Who hasn't?"

Lycaon reached a hand into the air and said, "My dream is to someday be free of my wolf half. To be wholly human again." He let his arm fall back to the earth. Yoruichi looked at him with some awe in her eyes. His dream may have seemed just a little bit selfish, but he had gone through hell because of his inhuman side. "What about you? What's your dream?"

"Well," Yoruichi muttered. She seemed a bit hesitant to answer. "There is one thing…" When she trailed off, Lycaon gave her a look that told her to go on. She blushed a little and said, "It's embarrassing, but… I really want to be able to tell a certain someone how I feel about him."

"How you feel?" Lycaon inquired. She gave a nod, and he sighed. "I see." He went into silent thought for a while. "I think I'll leave the Soul Society soon."

"What?" Yoruichi asked in shock.

"I've already learned everything that I need to know here," he explained. "A hundred years in one place is about the most that I can stand to be honest." He gave Yoruichi a comforting smile. "Don't worry, Kitty-Cat. Free spirits like us are always drawn to each other. I'm sure we'll meet again, someday."

"Right," Yoruichi said in a sad tone. She stood up on the ground and went into a fighting stance. "So, are you up for one last match before you leave?"

"Only if you're up for another, ass-kicking," the wolf-man said with a smirk. They stood facing each other, ready to fight. And then they began.

-o-

The next day, Yoruichi discovered that Lycaon had left without even so much as a letter saying goodbye.

End Flashback

These memories flashed through both their minds as they fought, trading blow for blow. Lycaon's hand grew wolf-like claws, which nearly slashed open Yoruichi's face. The catlike woman countered with a series of rapid kicks to her rival's guy, but he managed to block them all. They pushed away from each other again, both watching each other like a pair of hungry predators.

"Before we continue, I want to ask you something," Yoruichi said with an analytical look. When Lycaon nodded, she asked, "Why are you working with the enemy?"

The Wolf King sighed sadly. "Kronos promised to break my curse if I help him overthrow Olympus. How could I turn him down with that offer?"

"I know someone who might be able to break that curse without you having sell your soul to her," Yoruichi pointed out.

Lycaon chuckled. "Even if your friend could break my curse, I've already made a promise to serve Kronos. And you know full-well how I never break a promise."

"I know that," Yoruichi said in a melancholic tone. "But it was worth a shot."

The wolf-man nodded sadly and prepared to attack again. "Get ready, Kitty-Cat."

Yoruichi sighed and said, "Don't hold back, Puppy-Dog."

And the battle between old friends and rivals raged on with blinding speed.

-o-

A/N: Okay. Longest chapter yet. I'm sorry if things seem to be getting slow (and if all these flashback chapters are getting on your nerves), but I really wanted to give you all some insight on Yoruichi and Lycaon's history together. I hope it was to your liking. Now your Lord commands you to leave a review (or not, if you don't feel like it)!


	30. Always and Forever

A/N: I won't usually be doing this kind of thing, but for this chapter, I recommend that you look up the Bleach song "Here to Stay" and play at certain point in this chapter. It's a very emotional song. And trust me, you'll know when to play it.

-o-

The wolf pack looked on in awe as their leader fought purple-haired woman. The two were moving at impossible speeds, barely visible to even the keenest eyes.

They both fought with intent to kill. Lycaon performed a sweep kick at Yoruichi's ankles, but leaped over it and countered with an axe kick aimed for her opponent's head. He took hold of her descending ankle and tossed her away, sending her skidding across the ground. She looked up, panting heavily. Lycaon was in more or less the same state, which meant that they had barely made any real progress.

Before Yoruichi charged again, she asked, "Tell me, Lycaon. Why are you holding back?" The wolf-man gave her a slightly surprised look. "Come on, Puppy-Dog. You and I both know that you're capable of more than this. You might as well go all out."

Lycaon was silent for moment. There was sad look in his eyes, like he didn't want to fight her in the first place. He said, "Fine. But don't blame me if you get killed." Suddenly, his body began to change. Black fur sprouted out of his skin, with his nails becoming long, deadly claws. His canine teeth grew huge, with the rest of his teeth becoming razor-sharp fangs. His face elongated into a lupine snout, and his ears became pointed and moved over to the top of his scalp. A long tail was what finished his transformation into a true werewolf.

"This should make things more interesting for both of us," he said in a voice much deeper than his original one.

Yoruichi smirked. "You're right about that, my friend." She stood at the ready, awaiting her rival's next attack. She was miserably unprepared.

Lycaon vanished from Yoruichi's line of sight, reappearing right in front of her, with a fist landing right in her stomach. She coughed up blood and went flying in the direction of Lycaon's punch, crashing into a building, which collapsed around her. She picked herself up and staggered around a little, nearly tripping over her own feet and the rubble around her. She hadn't expected him to be able to move that quickly.

"Just quit, Yoruichi," Lycaon said. "I don't want to have to kill you of all people." From the tone of his voice, he was being totally sincere.

When she finally regained her balance, Yoruichi replied with, "I'm not running, Lycaon. I'm going to see our last fight through to the very end. You can count on that." She raised her right arm, her fist pointing off to the right. "I think I'll show you a special technique that I managed to create while you were gone." She clenched her right hand into a tight fist. "Shunko!"

Lycaon's eyes widened as Yoruichi's orange top exploded, revealing her basic combat uniform beneath. A massive level of spirit energy was exerted out of her back, taking on a form similar to lightning. It was an angelic sight.

"Not bad," Lycaon complimented her. "But it won't help you." He went into an unfamiliar stance, with his right hand held behind him. It began glowing with a bright, silver light. "This is a technique that I've just recently perfected. I call it Asi̱mí Lýkos Nýchi. It's the most powerful attack that a werewolf could ever hope to master."

"Let's just see if it can match up to my Shunko," Yoruichi said seriously. She got ready to charge, and so did her rival. After several tense seconds, they charged at each other once again.

Yoruichi's fist, coated in electricity-like spirit energy, made contact with Lycaon's own silver-coated hand. The contact between their attacks created a massive explosion of sheer power, with them in the center. Lycaon's wolf pack scattered to avoid being obliterated by the explosion, and howled for their leader.

Within the sphere of destruction, Yoruichi and Lycaon pushed their fists against one another. Lycaon soon surrounded his other hand in silver energy, with Yoruichi doing the same with her own golden energy. They threw their fists at each other one final time, Yoruichi aiming for Lycaon's heart, and Lycaon aiming for Yoruichi's head.

Everything seemed to slow down. Lycaon's fist missed Yoruichi's head by bare millimeters. Before Yoruichi's attack made contact, he mouthed something to her. Her eyes widened when she realized what he had told her, and she tried stop, but she couldn't do it in time. Her fist tore through his chest, just half a centimeter from his heart.

Soon, the destructive sphere of power faded from existence. Yoruichi's eyes were still wide, and were becoming wet. She could feel that Lycaon was still alive, if just barely. She looked at him, and saw that he had reverted to his human form, and had contented smile on his face. She remembered what he had told her in the moments before her attack landed.

_I love you._

"Is it true?" she asked him as she began losing the fight against her tears.

"Yes," he said quietly. "You were the only one… who was never scared of me. That meant… so much to me. You were always so kind and warm. Even when we bickered… it was always there. But… your courage… is what really drew me to you…" He was silent for a moment. "It's funny, isn't it? A lone wolf that wanted to stay alone… falling for a cat that hated being alone."

Yoruichi didn't speak for a while. She was still trying to comprehend it. But, slowly, she came to a realization. "It is funny when you think about it. I guess it's just as funny when the wolf learns that the cat feels the same way."

Lycaon's eyes would've gone wide with surprise if he had the strength to do so. "But… I thought you loved… Kisuke."

"You idiot," Yoruichi said tearfully. "He's a friend, but I've never felt anything more him. You were the only person who ever really understood me. And I may not have realized it then, but it was always you that I loved."

Lycaon smiled warmly at that. "Yoruichi…" He could feel his heart beat slowing. "Even… when I'm gone… please… just know… that I will always…" He trailed off.

Yoruichi didn't need him to finish. She knew what he was going to say. When she felt his heart finally stop, she gently placed his body on the ground and carefully removed her hand. She sat on her knees, looking at his corpse, tears flowing from her eyes.

"You idiot," she said. "You missed me on purpose." It was true. In a movement that only she could've seen, Lycaon had diverted his fist at the last second. If he hadn't, he would've won… and she would've been dead instantly. She smiled sadly at this fact. "I guess you really are stronger."

When she heard a growling sound behind her, she turned to see Lycaon's pack eyeing her. The largest of them padded up to Lycaon's body, ignoring Yoruichi completely. The wolf sniffed its leader's body, and then howled up at the sky, with the rest of the pack following suit.

Yoruichi appreciated the lupine equivalent of mourning. It let her know that she wasn't the only one who was hurting inside now. She thought about what Lycaon was going to say to her. She smiled at the thought, tears still rolling past her dark cheeks.

_And I you, Lycaon,_ she thought, letting the melancholic feelings flow out of her. _Always and forever._

-o-

Translation for the curious:

Asi̱mí Lýkos Nýchi: Greek for "Silver Wolf Claw"

This is probably the most emotional scene that I've ever written. I actually started tearing up a little while writing it, and had to stop for a bit. I hope you enjoyed it, and that you all find that special someone ;)


	31. Quincy vs Sorceress

Uryu released a volley of arrows at a monster that had tried to shred him with its claws. He had lost sight of Chad a few minutes ago, but wasn't really worried about the human giant. Besides, he had his own problems to worry about.

A minotaur charged at him in an attempt to impale him on its horns, but he leaped away and blasted it in the back of the head with more powerful arrow. He landed as more of the demons rushed at him, only to be met by swarms of arrows.

"This is getting annoying," he muttered to himself as he shot a hellhound in the face.

-o-

A woman watched the young Quincy from a distance as he fought. She licked her lips in anticipation. She was eager to finally jump into battle and prove her superiority over all men.

"I think I'll start with you," she said with an evil grin. She then vanished into a shadow behind her.

-o-

When he sensed a large spiritual pressure, he moved just in time to avoid a massive, shadowy hand. The hand crashed into his previous position, making a large crater, and then dragging chunks of earth back a little before tossing them at the Quincy.

Uryu flickered away and reappeared on the ground just before the debris could hit him. The shadow hand that had tried to crush him slowly faded away, revealing a woman with dark red hair and eyes that were - both literally and metaphorically - the darkest he had ever seen. She wore a dark purple dress with a black sash around her waist.

"My, my," she said with a tone that sounded like a mixture of slight admiration and distaste. "You're a speedy one, aren't you?"

Uryu's eyes narrowed at the woman. From the spirit energy he could feel and that look in her eyes (not to mention the fact that she had tried to kill him just now), she was definitely an enemy. "Who are you?"

The woman's malevolent smile devolved into an angry sneer. "Isn't it considered proper etiquette for the man to introduce himself before the woman reveals her name?"

Uryu thought about that and nodded. "I am Uryu Ishida, the last Quincy."

"Oh, a Quincy, hmm?" the woman replied, her smile returning. "Interesting. Well then, Quincy-boy, allow me introduce myself." She raised her hand, making a pair of shadow hands rise from the ground as well. "I am Circe. The Goddess of Sorcery. And I shall destroy you, Uryu Ishida."

The twin palms of darkness launched themselves at him. The Quincy jumped away and shot out as many arrows as he could as fast as possible. The goddess just smirked and raised her other hand, creating a barrier from her own shadow, which absorbed the projectiles and countered by shooting thousands of shadowy spears at the Quincy. Uryu dashed out of the way using his Hiren Kyaku, and stopped right behind Circe, an arrow ready to impale her.

"This was over faster than I thought it would be," he commented. "It's over, Circe." Just as he was about to finish it, he was forced to avoid a shower of those shadow spears from earlier. When he landed several yards away from the Goddess of Sorcery, he gave her a look of mild surprise. _Can those spears home in on me?_

"Men," he heard Circe say with distaste. "You're all such arrogant pigs." She turned to face him with an angry, disgusted look. "You all think that women are helpless, and that you're all so superior. You all believe that you're so much stronger, and that women are the weaker of the genders. Well…" She suddenly gave a cruel grin. "I'm here to prove you all wrong!"

She suddenly sent a wave of pure shadow energy at the Quincy, who reacted quickly and jumped as high as his power would allow, barely evading the wave. He countered with a volley of arrows, to which Circe responded with a swarm of spears, creating a series of small explosions every time they made contact. The Quincy continued shooting at the goddess, even as he touched down on the ground. The deadlock was held for almost a full minute.

"Tell me," Uryu said over the sounds of their attacks clashing. "Are you working for Kronos, or do you just get a twisted kick out of attacking random men?"

Circe smirked arrogantly. "It's a little bit of both actually. Although…" She paused for a moment, considering whether she should speak her true intentions. She soon decided that it couldn't hurt to tell the boy, since he was going to die soon. "I do have an ulterior motive."

"An ulterior motive?" the Quincy asked curiously. "What do you mean?"

The Goddess of Sorcery chuckled and said, "When Kronos overthrows Olympus, the moment he turns his back on me, I'll destroy him and take the throne for myself!"

"You intend to betray your master?" Uryu said with a bit of disgust in his voice.

Circe laughed at this. "There is no man who could be my master! Once I am the ruler of all things, I'll wipe out your kind in an instant! The world would be better off without you pigs!"

"You would eradicate all the men of the world?" Uryu said in shock. "But then how would women have children? Your plan is going to drive the entire human race into extinction!"

"You men disgust me!" the sorceress said with spite. "You think you know everything, don't you? Your arrogance and self-righteousness will bring about the end of you all! I'll only be helping you along the way!"

"You're completely insane!" Uryu shouted at her, but she ignored him. She believed that she was in the right, that all men are evil and selfish. Someone that set in their beliefs was dangerous enough, he thought, but the fact that Circe was a goddess would only make things that much more difficult. If she won, and her plan came to fruition, all of humanity would suffer. As a Quincy, a protector of the human race, he had to stop her no matter the cost.


	32. Darkness

"Die, Quincy!" Circe screamed as she launched a gigantic spear. Uryu's eyes widened at the sight of the large, impaling object. He flickered away with another Hiren Kyaku, breaking their deadlock and letting the giant spear crash into the ground. He reappeared off to Circe's left, an arrow charged and ready. He released another quick volley, which Circe deflected with her shadow barrier.

Uryu narrowed his eyes at the sorceress. The Goddess of Sorcery didn't seem to leave many openings. He began to think, trying to come up with an effective strategy. _She manipulates shadows and gives them a solid form in order to use them as weapons and shields. She also appears to be a strategic, long-range fighter. This might be a little difficult._ He silently cursed. _I guess I have no choice but to use my Seele Schneider and attack up close._ He reached down to his lower back and pulled out one of the weapons, letting the blade of spirit energy form quickly, and letting his bow disappear for now.

Circe raised an eyebrow at this. "I thought you were exclusively an archer."

"Normally, you'd be right about that," Uryu confirmed. "But my Seele Schneider is the only weapon in a Quincy's arsenal that can be used in close combat." Circe just gave him a questioning look. "I've seen that you're a long-range fighter. That means that you're at a disadvantage in close-quarters. So…" He suddenly vanished in a flicker of movement, reappearing in front of the goddess. "This is the best weapon to use!"

He slashed down at her, hacking right through her body. She had a shocked and pained look, like she hadn't expected in a million years to ever be defeated by a man. But suddenly, her entire body dissipated, dissolving into shadows. Uryu's eyes went wide at that sight. He looked around when heard Circe's voice laughing at him.

"Did you really think that it would be that easy?" she asked tauntingly. Suddenly, hundreds of copies of her rose out of the ground, all grinning evilly. "The shadows are mine to command, Quincy-boy! I can mold them into whatever shape I want! I can control the shadows of my enemies!" And as if fate wished to prove that, Uryu saw his own shadow quivering and changing shape. It then actually _rose _up off the ground and took on Circe's form. The shadow double smirked at the shocked Quincy, who had been struck speechless. "You can't win. As long as I have shadows to work with, I'm invincible!" She then created a shadow sword and slashed at him.

Uryu leaped back and materialized his bow, shooting arrows rapidly, hoping to hit the original sorceress. But every time an arrow struck a target, the victim would dissipate like the first double.

_Damn!_ he thought angrily. _How do you defeat someone who's literally never without a weapon?_ He would be hard-pressed to find a way. He watched all of the doubles as closely as possible. When he looked down at their feet, he noticed something that caught his attention. _The doubles don't have shadows of their own? Of course. Shadows can't cast more shadows. Perhaps the original has a shadow. That'll at least make easier to fight her._

Circe watched as the Quincy continued shooting almost recklessly. This only made her even more confident in an inevitable victory. She would toy with him for a little bit at first, then when she's had enough, she would impale him with her shadowy spears.

"Come on, little Quincy!" she taunted him. "You'll never hit me when you're shooting all haphazardly like that!" Then, to her surprise, he suddenly stopped shooting. "What the? Why did you stop?"

Uryu simply glared at her. "I hate it when people use that word." The Goddess of Sorcery looked at the Quincy in confusion. "Haphazard." He shuddered a little. "I don't really know why, but it always bothers me every time I hear it." He pulled out his Seele Schneider again and readied it like an arrow. "Since you didn't know that, I'll be lenient. I'll just defeat you here and be done with it."

He released the sword-like arrow, barely missing the original Circe. Her eyes widened when she realized this. Had he already found her? _No. If he had, I don't think he would've missed. He was just lucky, that's all._ She watched as he fired off three more Seele Schneider. Apparently, she was right about him. He hadn't really found her yet.

When the Quincy stopped firing, she looked at him analytically. "You're still never going to hit me, Quincy-boy. No matter how of those precious arrows you launch, you'll never find me."

"I beg to differ," Uryu said calmly as he stabbed his last Seele Schneider into the ground.

"What are you talking about?" Circe asked in a skeptical and arrogant tone.

"You may not think it, but I've already found you." Circe's eyes widened at this. "I guess you're wondering how I managed to find you. The answer is at your feet."

Circe looked down at her feet and saw her shadow. She then looked at the feet of all her doubles. They all lacked shadows of their own. She mentally cursed for her carelessness, but calmed herself quickly. "Even if you did find me, you missed those four shots, and you discarded your last one."

"Missed? Discarded?" Uryu shook his head, confusing the goddess. "You're wrong about that. I sent each of my Seele Schneider in specific points around you." He pulled out a small vial filled a strange liquid from his pocket. "This fight is over, Circe." He held the vial over the sword-arrow in front of him and let a small drop fall out onto it. "Sprengen."

Circe's eyes widened in panic as a massive, pentagonal burst of blue energy surrounded her. She screamed as the blast hid her from view. The sorceress's doubles all vanished, letting Uryu know that his attack had hit home.

When the energy from the Sprengen faded, Circe's smoking body collapsed onto the ground. Uryu just glared at her, then turned away. But just as he was about to return to fighting off Kronos's army, a massive spiritual pressure suddenly slammed down on him. It belonged to Circe. He turned back to face her, his eyes wide. The Goddess of Sorcery was picking herself up off the ground.

"You…" she said in a tone of absolute hatred. "You little pest… I…" She looked up at him, insanity and murder in her eyes. "**I'll kill you!**" Just then, a blast of shadowy energy enveloped her, and cleared away quickly. Uryu's eyes widened at the sight.

"What the hell?" he said in shock. Before was a different Circe: her entire body looked as though it were made of shadows. Her eyes were now completely red, and her hair was now totally black.

"Behold," she said with a large, evil smile, revealing dagger-like teeth. "This is true power. My true form."


	33. Pride of the Quincy

Uryu looked at Circe's shadowy true form with wide eyes. He could feel immense spiritual pressure radiating from her and slamming down on him. It felt as though he were trying to lift a mountain with his back.

"What's the matter, Quincy-boy?" the Goddess of Sorcery asked in false concern. "Is my power that overwhelming? Or are you just stunned at the magnificence of my beauty?"

Uryu's eyes narrowed as he readied his bow. "There's nothing beautiful about a mass of living arrogance and narcissism like you. You are by far the second most revolting thing I have ever laid eyes on." He shuddered when he remembered Mayuri Kurotsuchi's bankai. _Never again,_ he thought.

Circe gave an appalled, outraged look to the Quincy. "Are you saying that I'm… ugly?" Uryu just glared at her. Her shadowy fists started shaking with rage. "You shallow piece of crap. I'll destroy you!" She created yet another series of shadow spears, but now, they were all _much_ larger. She sent them all at Uryu, who used a quick Hiren Kyaku to dodge them. When he reappeared, however, the spears simply changed direction and started following him.

_Damn,_ he thought as he released as many arrows as he could in an effort to counter the spears. _She can make them home in on me._ He cursed out loud._ This is getting annoying. I have to end this, and fast. Come on, Uryu, think!_ When he managed to destroy the last shadow spear, he returned his focus to Circe. She simply stood there, watching him with that blood-thirsty look that she must've had a patent on. His eyes then wandered to his five Seele Schneider. An idea slowly started to form. He bit his thumb as he fine-tuned his plan in his mind. When he finished, he focused on Circe again. The goddess glared at him with a mix of animosity and curiosity.

_He's got an idea,_ she thought. The idea made her smirk. _No matter. Even if it's a perfectly thought-out plan, it won't help him._ She quickly summoned a sword made of shadows. "Prepare yourself, Quincy-boy!" She then charged straight towards him, grinning madly.

Uryu scowled and disappeared with the Hiren Kyaku. When this happened, Circe turned around, thinking he was going to attack from behind. But instead, she saw him grab one of his sword-arrows from the ground. She raised an eyebrow at this. Was he going to use that attack again? If he was, she couldn't let him. She wasn't sure if she could take another hit like that.

She launched spear after spear after spear at the Quincy, but he managed to dodge each time. She growled in anger as he picked up another of those accursed Seele Schneider, and then another. "Hold still, you worthless man!"

"I'm going to have to say 'no' to your request," Uryu taunted the goddess with a smirk. This only made her even angrier. She started launching more spears at him, but he was fast enough to evade them all. When he gathered up the last two Seele Schneider, he turned to face his enemy again. His eyes widened when he saw that she now charging up a ball of shadow-like energy. He could sense that she was charging all of her spirit energy into it.

"This will end you, Quincy," the goddess said with a sadistic grin. "There is no way you could ever hope to run from this!" She aimed the sphere of dark power directly at him. "Skiá!" A blast of pure black power was sent directly at the Quincy.

Uryu had to act fast. In a single, fluid motion, he pulled the vial from earlier out of his pocket and then readied all five of his Seele Schneider to be fired off at once, and he took aim, mixing the vial's contents with the sword-arrows. As Circe's attack approached him, his eyes narrowed. Time seemed to slow down. He released his arrows.

_Grandfather,_ he thought in a prayer-like fashion._ Let this attack be the one that earns victory in this battle._ "By the Pride of the Quincy, I shall defeat you! Perfekten Schuss!" He unleashed all five of his Seele Schneider at Circe's own attack, creating a massive beam from his bow.

Circe's eyes widened as she saw Uryu's attack slowly overpower her own. "N-no!" Her attack was suddenly dissipated by the Quincy's. "Impossible!" She screamed as the Perfekten Schuss enveloped and very nearly destroyed her.

When Uryu's attack ended, he fell to his knees, panting heavily. He looked over at the pillar of smoke that surrounded Circe's position. _Did that do it?_ His eyes narrowed as the smoke began to clear.

Circe had reverted back into her human form, which was now covered in burns and scars. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was agape in shock.

"Men…" she muttered as she collapsed onto the ground. Uryu sighed in relief at this assurance of victory. He slowly stood up and looked at Circe's prone form. "I guess… you really are… the stronger sex."

"I didn't fight you to prove male superiority," Uryu said in a monotone. Circe weakly looked up at him. "I only fought you to preserve the survival of the human race. That is the honor and duty of a Quincy."

Circe glared at him for a few moments. She then gave into unconsciousness. Uryu sighed and turned to leave. He had more to worry about right now than an unconscious goddess.

-o-

Chad had just beaten his way through a recent horde. All these monsters were starting to get on the giant's nerves. There were simply too many for his liking.

Right now, he was running to face possibly another gang of monsters. As he ran, however, he felt a large spiritual pressure hit him. He looked around, searching for its source, when he suddenly heard mad laughter.

"Look out below!" shouted a deep voice as a body suddenly crashed into the ground in front of Chad. From the newly formed crater stood a huge, overly muscled man with a flattop haircut and a face that was covered in scars. "Hey there, kid."

"Who are you?" Chad asked as he stood in a ready stance.

The huge man smirked arrogantly. "Nice of you to ask, punk! I am Atlas!" The giant punched the ground, making boulders shoot out of the ground. "I am the Titan of Endurance! Get ready to die, kid!"


	34. Giants

A/N: Hey, guys. I forgot to do this last chapter. Sorry!

Translations for the curious:

Skiá: Greek for "Shadow"

Perfekten Schuss: German for "Perfect Shot"

And now, enjoy the new chapter!

-o-

Chad watched Atlas warily. The huge man had just called himself a Titan. This wouldn't be an easy fight. He'd have to be very careful. He couldn't hold back. He fully activated his right arm, creating the shield-like Brazo Derencho del Gigantes. He then activated his left arm, Brazo Izquierdo del Diablo, and went into a defensive stance.

The Titan smirked at the teen. "I guess you won't be holding back. Fine with me!" He ran straight towards him, his fists up and ready to crush something. He swung out with a left hook, which Chad was able to block and counter with his own fist, which slammed into Atlas's stomach. The Titan just grunted and swung his right fist into his opponent's face.

Chad was sent skidding, but he quickly took hold on the ground, stopping just short of hitting a building. He looked up at the guy who was almost twice his size. He held his right arm back and charged up his spirit energy.

"El Directo!" he shouted as he launched a blast of green-colored spirit energy at the Titan. Atlas just laughed as he shrugged it off.

"Is that all you've got?" the Titan asked loudly. "That's just-!" Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Chad with his left arm raised, his fingers sparking with red energy.

"La Muerte!" The large teen slammed his supercharged fist into the Titan's stomach once again. This time however, Atlas gasped in surprise and pain as a skull-shaped crater formed behind him. He slumped over on Chad's shoulder. The large teenager shrugged him off and let the Titan hit the ground with a heavy _thud_. Chad then turned and started walking away silently. His work was done here.

Or so he thought.

A massive level of rage-fueled spiritual pressure crashed down on him. The pressure was so great that it actually caused the ground to break open. Chad struggled to turn to see Atlas picking himself up off the ground. He was laughing.

"Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!" he shouted with a look of sheer enjoyment on his face. "I don't think I have to hold back against you!" He punched the earth, causing two pillars of stone to shoot out of the ground and cover him up.

-o-

Ichigo froze when he felt that ridiculous spirit energy so close to his friend's. He knew Chad was tough, but that didn't keep him from worrying about the guy. None of them were invincible.

-o-

Kronos sneered in contempt when he felt Atlas's spiritual pressure suddenly skyrocket. That idiot always took things too quickly. But then again, it was that same mad hunger for powerful rivals that made the Titan of Endurance such a valuable asset. Still…

"The fool," the Titan Lord grumbled. "His enemy isn't even worthy of the dirt on a maggot's underbelly."

-o-

For a few moments, that insane spirit energy lifted, allowing Chad to get back onto his feet again. The stone pillars atop Atlas's body crumbled away, revealing a giant, gorilla-like beast made of rock.

"Now," the monster said in a gravelly version of Atlas's voice. "Before you die, I would like to know your name. I like to know the names of my victims!"

Chad stared wide-eyed at the behemoth. It easily three times Atlas's original size, and he could sense that it far more powerful. "Yasutora Sado."

"Yasutora, huh?" Atlas said with a grin. "Alright then. Let's end it!" Suddenly, the great behemoth was right in front of the teen, whose eyes went wide with agony as a gigantic fist rammed his torso. He was sent flying through three buildings before crashing into a fourth and finally stopping.

_He's so powerful,_ Chad thought as he fought to move against the pain that screamed through his body. _And way faster than he looks._ He stood up shakily as Atlas broke his way through those three buildings that he had just crashed through. _I won't lose. I won't just lie down and die._

"Come on, human!" the Titan shouted in a merry tone. "I can sense that you're capable of far more than what you're letting on! Show me your true power already!"

_What?_ Chad just stared at the giant in surprise. Was he really capable of greater power?

Before he could find an answer to this, he was sent flying into the air by a powerful uppercut, and was sent back to the ground by a two-fisted slam into his torso. He coughed up blood as he hit the earth and created a huge crater about twenty feet deep. Atlas landed on the ground right next to him, and not very gently.

He glared at the young human lying barely conscious on the ground. He grunted in disappointment. "Guess I was wrong about you, Sado. You're just another weak little human." He raised his fist up in the air and aimed for Chad's skull. "I'll see you in hell, punk."

Chad could only watch as time felt as though it was slowing down to a painful pace. _Abuelo, _he thought in shame. _Is this… the end?_

_No, Yasutora,_ said the voice of an old man. _You cannot die yet. You have yet to unlock your true power._

_That voice,_ Chad replied. _Abuelo?_

_Release the power you hold. Use it in the way you believe is right. Fight only to protect others. That is the purpose of both your arms. Now show this upstart your strength._

As Atlas's fist came down, the Titan had thought that this fight had been over too quickly. But just before his fist made contact, he was blown back by an explosion of golden energy. When he stopped stumbling around, he looked over at Sado. His eyes widened at what he saw. Chad's arms were now entirely golden, and looked as though energy was leaking off them constantly.

"You wanted to see my true power?" he asked calmly. "Well… here it is." He went into a fighting stance. "Los Brazos de Oro de Dios."

-o-

Translation for the curious:

Los Brazos de Oro de Dios: Spanish for "The Golden Arms of God"


	35. Retribution

A/N: Hey, guys. I need to rant about something really quick. The other day, I was on YouTube listening to Bleach music. When I got to a song that was apparently Orihime's theme song, I saw a comment that just infuriated me. The person had called Orihime "insipid and imbecilic." Orihime is FAR from being either of these things. Even Ichigo admitted sometime during one of the earlier arcs that she was actually smarter than him. She only seems dumb because of her goofy, airheaded, but kindhearted personality. And to all of you who say that Orihime's personality is "unrealistic," here's some news for you: literally ALL of my friends are like that. The same goes for most of my family, especially my little sister (whom I like to call "the Spontaneous Human Firecracker"). In comclusion, if you insult Orihime, to me, you might as well insult my friends and my entire family. And before anyone asks, yes, I support Ichigo x Orihime. Deal with it.

All right, now that's out of my system, I hope ypu enjoy the chapter.

-o-

Atlas stared wide-eyed at his enemy. The large teenager's spiritual pressure had suddenly become massive. So massive, in fact, that the newfound weight on his shoulders quickly reminded him of the days when he had to hold up the sky. Lord Kronos had come to him with a trio of the most powerful Cyclopes he could find and freed the Titan of Endurance of his burden. He knew for a fact that if the Titans lost this new war, he would be forced to once again hold the immeasurable weight of the sky on his back for who knows how long. He wouldn't go back to that.

"Y-you won't beat me, human!" the Titan roared as he charged at the teen. "I am Atlas! There is no man alive who can overpower me! I'll crush you like all my enemies!"

Chad just stood and examined his arms. The golden energy that was wrapped around them looked as though it was leaking off, floating away and dissipating in the air. He turned his attention to Atlas, whose fist was pulled back, ready to punch through anything that got in his path. He held up his right hand just Atlas threw his punch and caught the fist. He didn't even flinch as the ground around them practically exploded, sending debris flying into the air.

"W-what the hell?" Atlas couldn't believe what he was seeing. A mere human had actually blocked one of attacks without so much as grunting! And with no more than one hand! He suddenly felt an enormous pressure in his stomach. He coughed up blood as he was sent flying into a nearby forest.

Chad walked up to the Titan with supreme composure. Atlas picked himself up off the ground and staggered, still in shock from the immense blow that was Chad's fist in his abdomen. The Titan stumbled as the super-powered teen approached him.

"How?" Atlas asked through clenched, blood-soaked teeth. Chad just stared at the giant with a raised eyebrow. "How did you gain such power? How the hell are you strong!?"

Chad looked at the Titan with a serious glare. "You use your arms to hurt people who can't fight back." Atlas gave a confused look at this statement. "I use my arms to protect those who aren't strong enough to protect themselves. That's why I'm stronger than you. And it's why the Titans will never win."

_He fights… to protect?_ Atlas's narrow mind couldn't understand this. He had always been a firm believer in "survival of the fittest." The strong always survived, and the weak always died. People who protected others were always forced to hold back, and that's what made them weak. But Yasutora Sado was quickly proving those beliefs wrong.

Chad began charging power in both his hands, a golden sphere forming in between his palms. It slowly grew in size until it was the size of a basketball. He gave Atlas one final look. "This will be the final blow." The sphere of power split in two. The halves wrapped themselves around his fists, and he aimed them at the Titan. "Forgive me for this." The glowing orbs on his fists started fluctuating. "Venganza!"

From the teen's fists came a huge blast of raw power. Atlas could stare in awe as the attack charged toward him. As he was swallowed up by the explosion, only one thought managed to cross his mind.

_Am I weak?_

When the attack eventually ended, Chad panted heavily and fell down to his knees. That last attack had taken a lot more out of him than he thought. It had been in his mind since he had unlocked his Los Brazos de Oro de Dios, and he got the feeling that he _had _to use it. He looked over at Atlas's smoking, prone form.

_That… looks a bit overkill,_ he thought as his arms returned to normal. He then activated the first stage of his right arm and headed off to continue the fight. This war was far from finished.

-o-

Toshiro leaped away as a Cyclops tried to crush him under its war club. He Flash stepped over to the brutish creature and cut its throat open with his zanpakuto. The beast collapsed atop a hellhound that had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. When the young captain landed back on the ground, he looked over to where his lieutenant was fighting.

Rangiku's opponents stood about as much chance as Toshiro's. Her Haineko's ash-like blades tore through whatever monsters were stupid enough to come close to her. She didn't look like she was enjoying herself.

"Why are there so many of these guys?" she asked in a complaining tone.

"Don't whine, Rangiku," Toshiro told his lieutenant sternly. "It's unbecoming of someone of your rank."

"Geez," Rangiku said with a comical pout. "Talk about coldhearted!" She was just about to kill off one those butt-ugly minotaurs when she felt a large spiritual pressure. All the monsters surrounding them stopped when the pressure hit. She turned to face Toshiro. "Captain."

"I can feel it," he said calmly. His eyes scanned the monsters around them. They all suddenly fell to their knees in a bow. He raised an eyebrow at this. He heard movement off to his right and looked that way. The monsters there were moving apart from one another, opening up a path for what looked like a man wearing a suit of golden armor. He held a flaming sword in his right hand and large shield on his left. Toshiro and his lieutenant stood in a combat stance, ready for anything. "Who are you?"

The man stopped in front of them. His helmet hid his face, preventing them from reading any expressions. Finally, he said, "I am the right hand general to Lord Kronos. My name is Hyperion, Titan of Light." He raised his infernal sword, pointing the tip at the two Soul Reapers. "And you shall both die by my blade."

-o-

Translation for the curious:

Venganza: Spanish for "Retribution"

A/N: If the first A/N above offended anyone, I'm sorry. I'm going to warn you all right now and say that I tend to be very opinionated. I'll talk to you later.


	36. Ten Thousand Strong

Toshiro narrowed his eyes at their new opponent. "You're a Titan?"

Hyperion nodded. "Yes. I am the right hand to Lord Kronos. And you Soul Reapers are quickly becoming thorns in his side. Therefore, I shall destroy you."

Rangiku held her zanpakuto at the ready as she stood next to her captain. From the intensity of this guy's spiritual pressure, they would likely need to work together to beat him. She looked straight at where his eyes should've been. All she could see was an unnerving darkness that sent a chill down her spine.

"Captain," she said to Toshiro, who looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "This man doesn't look like the type who goes down easy."

"I can see that, Matsumoto," Toshiro said calmly. "We'd best finish this fast, before he has a chance to call for any reinforcements."

Hyperion seemed perk up a little at Toshiro's last sentence. "Did I hear you say 'reinforcements'?" He shook his head, as though he were disappointed. "You misunderstand, boy. _I am_ the reinforcements." He suddenly vanished from their view.

"What the hell?" Toshiro said in surprise. He and his lieutenant both felt a presence behind them and turned just in time to dodge an enormous stream of fire raging towards them. They leaped into the air and gained friction thirty feet above the ground. Hyperion was down below, looking up at them.

"Did you underestimate me?" he asked them. "How foolhardy." He was then suddenly standing in front of them, his fiery blade held at the ready. "You should never underestimate the power of a Titan, you mortal filth."

Toshiro was amazed at this Titan's speed. He didn't even see so much as a _flicker_ of motion. The Titan of Light was most likely very true to his name. _This could get dicey._

"Do you have a plan, Captain?" Rangiku asked. Just standing there watching their enemy making her become impatient.

"For now," Toshiro said as he took a stance. "Just try not to get killed." With that he Flash Stepped over to the Titan, swinging his zanpakuto to cut his enemy's throat.

The Titan of Light blocked the blow with his shield and swung his own weapon at the young captain, who Flash Stepped away. Just then, Rangiku appeared at Hyperion's exposed back. She swung her blade, shouting, "Growl, Haineko!" Her weapon became a storm of ash that surrounded the Titan. She then swung her arm out, as if there was still a blade on her weapon's hilt. A large gash suddenly appeared in Hyperion's armor, but he made no sound. He swung his sword at Rangiku, who leaped away, the ash cloud of her shikai retaking its original blade form.

Hyperion raised an eyebrow at this. "You wield an intriguing weapon."

Rangiku gave a surprised look to the Titan. "Was that a compliment? I don't get many of those from guys who're trying to kill me unless there just trying to mess with me."

"I make it a point never to lie," Hyperion said stoically. "When it comes to rare and fine weaponry, I am always eager to learn. Tell me, what is your weapon called?"

"They're called zanpakuto," the lieutenant answered as her captain reappeared next to her, his zanpakuto at the ready. "We Soul Reapers use them to exorcise Hollows and perform konso on the lost spirits of the dead."

"I see," the Titan said with a nod. "Interesting. Your zanpakuto might actually make for nice additions to my collection."

"Collection?" Toshiro asked curiously. Hyperion spread out both of his arms and began chanting in Greek.

"Emfanízontai," he exclaimed loudly. "Ta déka chiliádes lepídes tou katadíki̱!" Suddenly, thousands upon thousands of weapons of all shapes and sizes appeared, making the eyes of both Soul Reapers widen in shock. "This is my collection. An arsenal of ten thousand weapons gathered over the course of five millennia. Once Olympus falls, I will find where you Soul Reapers originate from and add all the zanpakuto there to my collection. But first…" He let go of his flaming sword and his shield, letting them hang in the air as he took hold of a large halberd. "I will end both your lives."

He was suddenly in front of them, his halberd ready to cleave them both in half. They quickly leaped away, with Toshiro grunting in frustration. One man capable of wielding a flaming sword was bad enough. But one man capable of wielding over ten thousand different types of weapons was only going to make things even _more _complicated.

"Damn you!" the young captain shouted. He held out his zanpakuto. "Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyorinmaru!" His sword glowed an icy blue light as a chain with a moon-shaped sickle on the end extended from his sword's pommel. He swung his blade at his enemy, summoning an ice dragon to attack the Titan of Light… who vanished into thin air before the attack could land.

"Fool," Toshiro heard Hyperion's voice say as he was struck in the back. He plummeted like a rock to the earth, causing an explosion of dirt and debris to shoot into the air. "You can never hope to overcome that which moves at the speed of light."

When she ensured that her captain was alright, albeit rather beaten-up, Rangiku glared at the Titan and asked, "What do you mean 'speed of light'?"

"It is exactly as I said. As the Titan of Light, I am able to move faster than any other being in the universe. It is why Lord Kronos made me his right hand. My power is second only to his."

"As powerful as you are," Toshiro said as he stood up again, panting. "You're only the second strongest of all the Titans?"

Hyperion looked down at the young Soul Reaper. "You foolish child. You have yet to see the full extent of my power. And neither of you will live long enough to see it." He then appeared in front of Rangiku. "However, if you surrender and pledge eternal loyalty to Lord Kronos, I will let you live. What say you?"

Rangiku's answer was to slash at him with her zanpakuto, but the Titan vanished again and reappeared mere feet beyond her range. His speed was utterly disorienting. The Titan just stood there, glaring at her.

"So that is your answer, is it?" he asked. Her answer to that was to glare back at him. "I see. Then it appears that I must kill you and take your swords as my prize." He tossed aside his halberd and picked up a nearby battle axe. The Titan then appeared in front of her and swung his axe at her. But he stopped and turned when he heard one word.

"Bankai!"

There was a sudden chill in the air, which almost made Hyperion shiver. Rangiku Flash Stepped away from the Titan and back on the ground next to her captain.

"Daiguren Hyorinmaru!" Toshiro announced the name of his bankai and flew up into the air, ready to once again face the Titan of Light.

"Bankai?" Hyperion asked. He was growing more and more fascinated with these "zanpakuto."

"A bankai is essentially a Soul Reaper's trump card," Toshiro explained. "By the way, I believe that I may have figured out how you light-speed travel works."

"Oh? Then do share your theory so that I may prove you wrong."

The young Soul Reaper's eyes narrowed at the Titan. "You don't actually move your body in light-speed, do you?" Hyperion perked up at that. Toshiro's theory might be right after all. "I've noticed that you never actually attack while in light-speed. That confused me for a while, but I soon came to a conclusion. You don't run toward your opponent. Like you said, you're the Titan of Light. But your body can't actually survive travelling at speeds that great, can it?" Hyperion growled at the young genius. "So you instead convert your body into particles of light, move toward your opponent at invisible speeds, and then reintegrate your body into its physical form in a different pose, creating the illusion of running at light-speed. Am I wrong?"

Hyperion glared at the boy, and then hung his head. "You are correct, boy. I must give you some credit. You are far more intelligent than I thought by looking at you." He tossed away his battle axe and took a pair of dual swords from behind him. "And I sense that your power has increased dramatically as well. Perhaps this battle might be able to offer me some entertainment after all."

Rangiku watched from below as Toshiro stared down with Hyperion. She knew that if she interfered, her captain would likely freeze her to death by accident. At this point, she could only watch as the battle continued.

-o-

Translation for the curious:

Emfanízontai, ta déka chiliádes lepídes tou katadíki̱: Greek for "Appear, the ten thousand blades of damnation"


	37. Hellfire

Toshiro flew toward Hyperion at max speed, but the Titan vanished and then reappeared behind the young captain. He swung down his left sword, but the icy wings of Toshiro's bankai blocked the blow. The young captain quickly turned and slashed at his enemy, but the Titan disappeared again, rematerializing off to Toshiro's left.

"Die, Soul Reaper!" Hyperion shouted as he slashed at the captain. Toshiro was barely able to evade the Titan's twin blades. The Titan of Light then released his weapons and vanished again.

A split-second later, he reappeared in front of Toshiro wielding a scythe. The Titan swung the blade at his opponent, but the white-haired young man Flash Stepped, dodging the blow, reappearing just fifteen feet away. Hyperion glared at the boy through his helmet.

"Tell me, boy," the Titan said coolly. "I wish to learn more about these 'zanpakuto' that you Soul Reapers wield. Can all of you use this 'bankai' that you are using at this moment?"

"Not all," Toshiro answered. "But all Soul Reapers are technically capable of achieving it. Why do you ask?"

"Simple curiosity." Just then, the Titan vanished. Toshiro's eyes widened as he felt cold steel on his throat. "Bankai may be a Soul Reaper's trump card, but against a warrior who has five millennia worth of experience in battle, it is next to useless. Goodbye, boy." Just as he was about to cut the young Soul Reaper's neck open, he heard the woman's voice

"Growl, Haineko!" A storm of ash suddenly surrounded Hyperion's weapon. The scythe was then hacked to pieces. The Titan moved away from the captain and glared down at the female Soul Reaper. "You're not going to win that easily, Titan. I'm going to make sure of that." Rangiku swung her arm in the Titan's direction, sending the cloud of shredding ash toward him. The Titan vanished and reappeared further away, and did so repeatedly to evade the cloud.

Toshiro looked down over at his lieutenant. "I suppose I should thank you for the save, Rangiku."

"No problem, Captain!" she replied cheerfully. "As your lieutenant, you can rest easy knowing that I've got your back!" Toshiro nodded at that. Rangiku's expression then became focused on the battle. "I didn't think that I would have to interfere, but this guy clearly fights dirty. It'll take more than one person to beat him, even if that one person is a genius."

"I suppose at this point, I have no choice but to accept your help," Toshiro said in agreement. The two Soul Reapers stood in air, side-by-side, as Hyperion glared at them.

_Such insolence,_ he thought. He then held out his hand, releasing his scythe. "I grow tired of this meaningless conflict. Your lives shall end now." He aimed his hand up into the sky as his original weapon, the flaming sword, flew into his palm. "Before you die, I will grant you the honor of knowing a secret about my power."

"A secret?" Toshiro asked in suspicion.

"Yes." The Titan pointed his blade at the two Soul Reapers. "My power is so great, that I have been forced to seal pieces of it into each of my ten thousand weapons." He paused for a moment. "From what I have seen of your zanpakuto, I can only assume that you must first call your weapon's name before you can unleash its power. My power actually works in a similar fashion."

Both Toshiro's and Rangiku's eyes widened at that, and Rangiku asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"Allow me to demonstrate." Hyperion then positioned his sword horizontally across his chest, and with the edge of the blade pressing against his armor's breastplate. "Merge…" All the ten thousand weapons surrounding them then began to converge onto Hyperion's position. "Kólasi̱." All the thousands of weapons then suddenly began impaling him, completely covering his body. Massive flames suddenly enveloped all of them, and those flames slowly shrank down into the form of a humanoid creature made of pure red fire.

"This is my full power," said the voice of Hyperion. "Now, feel the wrath of the flames more destructive than all of hell." He shot his arms out, sending twin jets of flame at his opponents, who Flash Stepped to dodge. Hyperion looked over to where the two Soul Reapers. "You can flee as much as you like." He suddenly started to grow in size, with his opponents' eyes widening as he did. He soon became one hundred-foot-tall living bonfire. "You cannot outrun the light."

-o-

Translation for the curious:

Kólasi: Greek for "Inferno"

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, guys, but I got a major of writer's block for this chapter. I promise the next one will be longer. Until then, see you later.


	38. Father and Son, and the Underworld

Ichigo saw the massive, human-shaped pillar of fire. All he could do was look. It was both a terrifying and impressive sight. The spiritual pressure coming from was beyond immense. He could also sense the spirit energy of both Toshiro and Rangiku. From what he could tell, they were fighting the apparently living inferno.

"It seems that Hyperion is growing impatient," said a calm, familiar voice. Its tone sent chills down Ichigo's spine like only one other ever did. His eyes widened when he turned to see who had spoken. "From I've learned of him, Hyperion isn't the type to go all out unless he becomes bored with his enemy."

"No way," Ichigo muttered in shock. "It can't be you. You're supposed to be dead!"

"I was," said Ulquiorra Schiffer. "It has been some time I presume, Ichigo Kurosaki." The resurrected Arrancar looked back over to Hyperion again. "Let us see if your friends can overcome one of the most powerful Titans."

-o-

Toshiro gave Hyperion's true form a wide-eyed look. What stood before him now was unlike anything he had ever seen. Next to him, Rangiku was in a similar state of shock and awe.

"You infinitesimal insects who believe that you can overpower a true Titan," Hyperion said in a deep, booming voice that commanded authority. "You cannot escape the flames of the sun. They will always reach you, regardless of where you run or hide. Now accept your inevitable destruction." A single massive jet of blood-red fire shot towards the Soul Reapers from the center of his chest. The streak of flame was too large and too fast for either of them to dodge. It would most definitely consume them in an instant. It was the end for them. Just as the flames were mere feet from them… the fire split in half, missing them completely and crashing into the ground.

"What?" Hyperion shouted angrily. The thing that had split the flame was a young man, whose lower body was an orange fire. His hair was also aflame, and his eyes were a bright orange. Hyperion made a growling sound. "You…"

The young man ignored the angry Titan and turned to Toshiro and Rangiku. "I'm sorry I was late to the party. I had business to take care of. I'm Helios, God of the Sun. And you are?"

"Dead if you don't focus on the fight," Toshiro replied. The sun god was taken aback by the younger man's reaction, but nodded anyway. He turned to Hyperion with a hateful glare.

"Helios," the Titan growled. "It has been millennia. You are looking well for a traitor."

_Traitor? _both Toshiro and Rangiku thought at the same time. Rangiku asked, "What is he talking about?"

Helios sighed before answering. "I was there during the original war against the Titans eons ago. I took the side of the gods over the Titans. He calls me a traitor because… he's my father."

"Your _father_!?" Rangiku shouted in surprise. Helios nodded as Hyperion actually laughed at her reaction.

"Idiotic mortal," he said in mock amusement. "Surely you have been made aware of the origin of all Olympians. They are the offspring of the Titans. Our children, our grandchildren, and even our great-grandchildren. Without the Titans, the Olympians could never have come into existence. It is their ungratefulness for our bringing into the world that has doomed them."

"You shut up, you glorified campfire," Helios said to his villainous father. The god's flames suddenly became brighter, and his hands became large fireballs. "I'm pretty sure that you're already aware of my power when I'm in my true form. But let me show you what the sun's power can really do!" He flew forward, flying straight at Hyperion's faceless head.

"Fool!" Hyperion shouted. He reached up with speed that would normally be impossible for someone his size in an effort to block Helios's approach. But it was vain attempt, shown by Helios literally punching his way through his father's hand. The sight of this made the two Soul Reapers gawk.

Hyperion roared in anger. He launched dozens of jets of red fire at the younger immortal. This proved next to useless as Helios actually opened his jaw… an _inhaled_ the hellish flames. He wiped his chin with his wrist and said, "I had no idea you were kind enough to give your son a free snack. Mind if I pay you back with interest?" He punched his knuckles together. "I'll show you what the _real_ sun can do!"

He spread out his arms, fists still ablaze, and shouted, "Solar Ring!" Twin streams of flame shot out of his hands and surrounded Hyperion. The ring of fire then split into two other rings. The sight somewhat resembled a massive atom of sorts. "Yo, kid with the ice wings!"

"My name is Toshiro Hitsugaya!" Toshiro shouted indignantly.

"Whatever! Get in there! My Solar Ring will hinder his power enough for you to be able to beat him! But he's far from a pushover, so go all out while you can!" Toshiro looked surprised at Helios's order at first, but he quickly nodded and flew past the fiery rings and approached Hyperion.

"I'm going in, too!" Rangiku demanded as she went to follow her captain, but the God of the Sun stopped her.

"Don't," the god said. "Your friend is the only strong enough to beat Hyperion. I am, too, but right now, I have to focus on maintaining my Solar Ring." He turned his attention back onto the rings surrounding Hyperion and Toshiro. "Those rings are the only thing holding that bastard back. And besides, if you were in there too, snow-head over there would probably hesitate. He doesn't look like he has total mastery over his own power yet."

Rangiku frowned at Helios's explanation. She knew she couldn't disagree though. Captain Hitsugaya might be a genius, but he was still young. He could freeze her to death by accident just as easily as he could freeze an enemy. At this point, she could only watch as her captain continued their battle against the second-in-command of the Titans.

-o-

Ichigo and Ulquiorra watched the whole scene from where they were standing. At first, Hyperion had seemed to be an impossible enemy to defeat. With that smaller fire guy's help, maybe Toshiro and Rangiku would stand a chance.

"I guess that Hyperion guy isn't so tough, huh?" he asked snidely. The Arrancar did not answer. Ichigo then asked the question that had him beyond stumped. "How are you alive anyway?"

Ulquiorra gave the orange-haired teen a blank look, then said, "Kronos had a group of necromancers resurrect me from the dead. I am now in his debt." The former Espada reached for his sword. "In order to repay this debt, I must give him your head."

Ichigo's eyes widened at this revelation. Ulquiorra had been brought back to life and was sent to kill him? Ichigo nearly died at the former Espada's twice, and was killed in their third confrontation (fortunately, he was brought back to life before the point of no return). In his current state, he wouldn't last a second. Regardless, he held up his dual-edged sword and stood ready to fight.

Before Ulquiorra could actually draw his blade, however, there was an explosion of black fire between them. Both onlookers' eyes widened in surprise as they felt a huge spiritual pressure suddenly slam down on them. When the black flames cleared, four figures stood in its place. Three looked human, but the fourth was literally a three-headed dog the size of a tank with a snake's body and head for a tail.

"Oh, darn!" said a woman with bright red hair wearing what looked like a funeral dress. "We overshot it again, didn't we? We were supposed to be sent to the palace, not the middle of a forest!"

"Do not complain, Persephone," said a tall, stoic man with pale skin wearing black armor and a crown made from what appeared to be human finger bones. "At least we were sent to Olympus this time."

"That is correct," said a second man with jet black hair and a formfitting black jumpsuit. He had a large, intimidating scythe slung over his shoulder. "The last time we came to Olympus, we accidentally caused that reactor in Chernobyl to blow. Tragic day. Very busy for all of us."

"Who are you three?" Ulquiorra asked finally.

The redheaded woman smiled and said, "I'm Persephone, Goddess of Springtime and Queen of the Underworld!"

The man in the black jumpsuit said, "I am Thanatos, God of Death." He motioned to the giant, three-headed dog. "That's Cerberus, Guardian of the Underworld."

"And I…" said the pale-skinned man. "Am Hades. Lord of the Underworld. And you are an intruder in my brother's domain. As such, you shall be annihilated."

-o-

A/N: And the fangirls leave hateful messages. Sorry, ladies.


	39. Death's Revelation

Toshiro dodged yet another blast of red flames, and then another. Hyperion was making certain that this battle would be difficult for the young Soul Reaper. Though the flames didn't seem as intense as earlier, most likely thanks to Helios's giant, fiery rings, they were still extremely potent. Toshiro moved his ice wings to shield himself from another jet of fire.

"Insolent child!" Hyperion exclaimed cockily. "You cannot hope to overcome my flames with your ice! It will never happen, even if you lived to be as old as I am! Ice can never conquer fire!"

"Arrogant bastard," Toshiro muttered dryly. He flew onward, aiming to strike at the Titan's head. If he could just land a Ryusenka there, this battle would likely be over in the instant. But he was constantly being forced to evade the seemingly unending barrage of blood-red infernos, forcing him to change his route and strategy every six seconds.

Rangiku watched as her captain nimbly avoided Hyperion's attacks. She clenched her fists in frustration. She wanted to get in there and help Toshiro, but she knew that Helios was right. This fight had to remain one-on-one. But that didn't mean she couldn't be pissed off about it.

"Dammit," she cursed aloud.

When he was finally able to catch his breath, Toshiro eyed his enemy warily. That's when he noticed something. The massive human bonfire looked as though his light had grown… duller. Was this a sign that the Titan was weakening? _It has to be,_ he thought. This could be his big chance.

"You can surrender at any time, Titan," the young captain said calmly. "It could save you a lot of trouble down the road."

"You arrogant mortal!" Hyperion bellowed angrily. "I shall end you for your impudence!" The Titan reared his head back, apparently charging his power into his mouth. He shot his head forward towards the young Soul Reaper, whose eyes widened when Hyperion unleashed… a series of sparks. A few moments of awkward silence later. "W-WHAT HAPPENED? THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MY ULTIMATE ATTACK!"

"Apparently, Helios's rings affected you more than you thought," Toshiro hypothesized. He went into a ready stance. "This next attack will be the final blow for this battle." He flew at top speeds, sword aimed at Hyperion's head. "Ryusenka!" He went through the Titan's head, finding the flames much cooler than he would've expected. The Titan of Light shouted in pain as his head suddenly became a giant chunk of ice in the shape of a cross. The ice then spread all over Hyperion's body, completely encasing him. The Titan soon collapsed under his own weight and shattered, frozen chunks scattering all over the ground.

When Helios saw this, he sighed and released his Solar Ring, letting the flames die out. "It's about damn time. I was starting to run out of power." He had to admit though: that Toshiro guy really was strong if he could freeze fire like that. "That was probably the coolest way to win a fight I've ever seen!" He laughed at his own joke. Both Rangiku and Toshiro felt large beads of sweat on the backs of their heads.

_That was just terrible,_ they both thought at the same time.

-o-

Ichigo looked on in amazement at the sight of the giant living inferno being frozen solid. The sight made him smirk. "Toshiro really is strong."

Ulquiorra gave the spectacle an indifferent look. He turned his attention to the three gods and the three-headed dog that had interrupted his mission. The man called Hades glared at him emotionlessly and said, "You are a resurrected soul, are you not?"

The Arrancar was silent for a few moments, but soon nodded. "Yes. Kronos had me brought back to life so that I would serve him."

Hades narrowed his eyes. "That is major violation of the natural order. The dead must remain as such." He turned to the scythe-wielder at his left. "Thanatos."

"Of course, Lord Hades," the God of Death said with a nod. The god approached Ulquiorra, scythe ready. The former Espada didn't even look away from him. This confused Thanatos. "Do you not fear me? I am the embodiment of death after all."

"I don't fear death," Ulquiorra said calmly. "All beings must encounter it at some point."

Thanatos nodded at that. "Very true. Which reminds me." The God of Death then turned to face Hades. "Forgive me for this." He then swung his weapon… onto Hades' shoulder, drawing a significant amount of blood.

The Lord of the Underworld's eyes widened in shock at this. Persephone watched in horror. Cerberus's three heads barked and roared. The hellhound swung at Thanatos with his huge paw, but the god leaped away, landing several yards away from the group of surprised faces. Even Ulquiorra stared at the God of Death in disbelief.

Persephone crouched over her bleeding husband (Hades), and glared at Thanatos. "What the hell was that!? Why did you attack him!?"

Thanatos glared back at the Queen of the Underworld. "Because he is unfit to rule the Underworld anymore."

"Unfit?" Ichigo asked. He was severely confused by everything that was going on right now.

"For millennia, I have toiled as the God of Death," Thanatos said with distaste. "It is a far more stressful job than one would expect. Thousands of people die every day. Imagine having to gather them all up and then leading them all to one place. Every day. For eternity." He glared at Hades hatefully. "Imagine being forced to work for an ungrateful bastard who won't even bother with so much as a simple 'thanks for your help.'" He tightened his grip on his scythe. "Hades is unfit to continue his position. It is time for Death to rule over the dead."

If Hades was angry, he didn't let it show. He stood up, Persephone helping him a little, and turned his attention to Ulquiorra. "You have great power. I shall enlist you in defeating Thanatos's insurrection."

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow at the god. "You do realize that I'm working for Kronos, don't you? As an Arrancar, I must repay him for bringing back from the dead." Hades nodded in understanding. He the pointed a finger at the resurrected Espada.

"Then you shall not be an Arrancar," he said as Ulquiorra suddenly felt warmth on his chest. Specifically around the area of the hole just below his neck. The sensation ended when Hades let his hand fall. Ulquiorra instinctively reached up and felt where his hole was. His eyes widened when he realized that the hole was _gone_, replaced by living flesh.

"How…?" He was utterly shocked at his discovery.

"You are no longer an Arrancar," Hades said mysteriously. "But you still have all the same power as when you were. As the Lord of the Underworld, I have that power. You are now in _my_ debt."

Ulquiorra was still shocked, but nodded. "Then, in order to repay this debt, I will destroy the traitor Thanatos. As you asked."

If it were at all possible, Thanatos's glare became even more venomous. "Are you a coward, Hades? Has the life as ruler of the Underworld truly made you so soft?"

"No, Thanatos," Hades answered. "It is merely because you are not worth my time. I must go and see my two brothers before they start complaining about how late I am." He turned and began to walk away, with Persephone and Cerberus following.

"I will not be ignored, Hades!" Thanatos yelled as he started charging toward them. He was blocked by both Ichigo and Ulquiorra. "Step aside, mortals!"

"No," Ulquiorra said defiantly. "I will not allow you to pass." He turned to Ichigo when he heard the orange-haired teen chuckle. "Is something funny?"

"It's just that I never expected the two of us to ever fight on the same side," Ichigo said with a smirk. "This ought to be interesting, wouldn't you agree?"

Ulquiorra simply nodded. He could sense that Ichigo was much weaker than before, but that the boy still held some power. And they were about to fight the God of Death himself. Yes, it was definitely an interesting turn of events.

-o-

A/N: I guess the fangirls are going to start rejoicing again. And I didn't get any hateful reviews for the last chapter's ending. Everybody wins!


	40. Fear the Reaper

Ulquiorra and Ichigo stood side-by-side, facing Thanatos, the God of Death. It was by far the most unlikely of alliances. The two former foes would occasionally eye each warily, unsure of how they should proceed. Death was growing impatient.

"Will one of you mortal fools just come forward already?" Thanatos said in slight frustration. "I am quickly growing bored of simply waiting for one of you move. Or shall I take the first swing?" Before either of them could react, the God of Death was upon them, his scythe aimed to sever their heads.

Out of pure instinct, Ulquiorra grabbed Ichigo and performed a quick Sonido, allowing them both to evade Death's attack. He couldn't be totally sure, but Ulquiorra was almost positive that neither of them wanted to be hit by that intimidating blade. The former Arrancar could feel Ichigo staring at him, so he stared back.

"What are you looking at?" he asked.

Ichigo shook his head for a moment and said, "I just never thought I'd live to see the day when a Hollow actually saved me."

"I am no longer a Hollow," Ulquiorra pointed out. Ichigo chuckled and nodded.

"Right. Hades fixed that little problem, didn't he?" The orange-haired teen went back into a fighting stance, holding the hilt of his sword with both hands. "Anyway, we'd better take this guy down. I don't think the others would appreciate having the Grim Reaper running around killing people." Ulquiorra eyed the young man, and shook his head.

"You are the one who was chosen by Fate to face Kronos," he said. Before Ichigo could argue, he said. "If Thanatos kills you, hope for the defeat of the Titans is lost. Therefore, I must implore you to move on. You must find and confront Kronos." He then pointed to a hill far off to the fight. "He's over on that hilltop, awaiting challengers. Go."

Ichigo looked at the specified hill, then to Ulquiorra. He didn't like leaving people behind, but the pale-skinned man was right. He gritted his teeth and said, "Fine. Just don't get yourself killed."

"I've already died once," Ulquiorra said, his sword now drawn. "I don't plan on doing it again anytime soon." Ichigo nodded at this, and headed for hill where Kronos was waiting.

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow when he noticed that Thanatos didn't bother going after the boy. "Aren't you going to kill him before he reaches your current employer?"

Death shook his head. "Even if he does reach Lord Kronos, he stands with literally no chance of victory. As the King of the Titans, Kronos is one of the most powerful beings in the universe. A mere boy holding a sword won't even last a millisecond." The God of Death then went into a stance, holding his scythe at the ready. "Now then, I believe you said something about not dying again soon. Quite a tall order considering the fact that your opponent is death personified."

Ulquiorra thought about that for a moment, and then nodded. "Yes, I suppose you're correct. I can tell that fighting any god, regardless of what they represent, would be an arduous task." He held up his sword. "But it is one that I will see through thoroughly. Imprison, Murcielago." The former Arrancar was surrounded by a neon green energy, which then came down like rain. Thanatos didn't even flinch as Ulquiorra's spiritual pressure crashed down on him. When Ulquiorra could be seen again, Death raised an eyebrow. The emerald-eyed man no longer hand any weapon, though his power had increased exponentially, and he now had two horns and large, bat-like wings, giving him a somewhat demonic appearance.

"You do realize that you stand little chance without a weapon, am I correct?" the god asked. Ulquiorra didn't answer. "In that unarmed state, I could easily destroy-" He was unable to finish his sentence as Ulquiorra's hand was suddenly just in front of his face. The God of Death's eyes widened in surprise as the pale palm made contact with his head, forcing him back for several yards until the once-Espada released him, sending him crashing through four trees and a boulder. Death slammed a palm on the ground in order to stop himself, and skidded to a stop before he broke through a building.

When Thanatos gave Ulquiorra a shocked look, the former Arrancar glared back and said, "You should never underestimate someone just because they lack any true weapons." He pointed a finger at Death. "I am never without one." Black energy began charging at his fingertip. "For example. Cero Oscuras." The black energy shot forward, charging toward the God of Death relentlessly.

As the blast made contact, there was an explosion of massive proportions, along with a resounding _boom!_ Ulquiorra floated down to the ground, and watched dispassionately as smoke billowed from ground zero.

-o-

By the time Hades had finally arrived, Zeus and the others were already set for the final battle. The King of the Gods looked around at his comrades, his family, and said, "Finally. After five long millennia, we are all brought together once again, under a common banner, ready to face the one of our greatest enemies. We, the original six Olympians, shall once again stand against the Titan Lord, Kronos."

"Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth and Home," said Hestia, the eldest of them all. She had a sword made entirely of golden flames in her hands.

"Hades, Lord and God of the Underworld," said Hades, calm and void of emotion as usual. He held a war helmet under his arm. The Helm of Darkness that allows its wearer perfect invisibility.

"Demeter, Goddess of Agriculture and Nature," said a dark-haired woman wearing a grass-green dress. She had a wild look in her brown eyes.

"Poseidon, Lord and God of the Sea," said the always shirtless Poseidon, holding his Trident of Tides at his side.

"Hera, Goddess of Marriage and Queen of the Gods," said Zeus's wife. She was armed with an array of daggers and throwing knives that she had mastered completely over the millennia.

"And Zeus, Lord of the Sky, God of Lightning, and King of the Gods," Zeus said as he looked at his comrades with pride. He took up his own weapon, the Lightning Spear, the very symbol of the most powerful force in nature, and led five of the most powerful Olympians out of the Olympian Palace. "Together, we will show Kronos once again what it means to mess with the Kingdom of Olympus."

-o-

When the smoke cleared, Ulquiorra saw Thanatos's prone form lying on the ground, scorched and smoking. The former Espada simply turned and began walking away. That is, until he felt an enormous spiritual pressure suddenly crash into his shoulders. He looked back behind him, with his eyes widened in surprise, and saw that Thanatos was now standing again, his face bearing nothing but outrage.

"You arrogant mortal wretch," Death said in a voice much too calm for his expression. "Did you honestly think that I was defeated that easily? If so, then you are a true fool." He raised his scythe. Its curved blade glinted eerily. "I will show you the true face of Death!" The god was then surrounded by pure black energy, which quickly took the shape of a raven in flight, and then a human skull. The energy soon dissipated, revealing Thanatos's true form. He had become a human skeleton wearing a black cloak with a hood that shadowed his eyes. He now had large raven's wings on his back, and still held his scythe in hand.

Ulquiorra's eyes were widened in shock. This form reminded him of Barragan's released state, minus the air of arrogance and the presumptuous golden crown. "That is your true form?"

"Yes," Thanatos said in a menacing, wraithlike voice. "You should feel honored. Not many live long enough to see this form. Then again, most of the people I meet are already dead." The personification of death pointed his scythe at the former Arrancar. "This will be the blade the tears your soul from your very body."


	41. The Inevitable

Ulquiorra was not an easy man to scare. His nearly emotionless personality ensured that. But looking upon Thanatos's true form, he felt like a helpless child. The God of Death emitted an air of frightening calm. There was simply no other way to describe the feeling.

An eerie silence had fallen between them. It was the type of silence that would make the hair on the back of one's neck on end. Ulquiorra eyed Thanatos warily. His opponent's spiritual pressure was almost as crushingly heavy as Aizen's had been. The former Espada aimed a finger at Death again. "Bala." A barrage of energy blasts flew out of his fingertip. The God of Death didn't even bother to move out of the way.

"Such ineptitude," the Grim Reaper said as he swung his scythe. A wave of slow-moving dark energy came out of his blade and absorbed Ulquiorra's Bala bolts. "To believe such a petty attack could be effective against me is the very definition of foolishness." Thanatos raised a skeletal hand, his palm facing Ulquiorra. "Feel the cold touch of Death as its power swallows you whole." A large ball of black fire flew from Death's hand.

Ulquiorra quickly leaped into the air, narrowly dodging the black inferno. He stopped in the air and eyed the spot where the projectile made contact. The ground looked as though it were decaying. This made him raise an eyebrow. "How does the ground decay?"

"That was Máv̱ri̱ Flóga," said the voice of the God of Death. Ulquiorra turned to see the Grim Reaper floating in the air level with the former Arrancar. "Those black flames are a symbol of decay. They represent the very transience of all things in the universe. Birth, life, disappointment, death, decay. These are the five universal inevitabilities. They are totally unavoidable. Even immortals must face them. Even gods can die and rot." He looked up to the sky. It was almost night, with the sun making its descent past the horizon. The stars were now visible in the heavens. "It does not matter how far you go to reach heaven. Eventually, even the brightest stars fade from our view.

"That is why I exist," Thanatos continued as he faced Ulquiorra again. "I am not just death. I am inevitability. I am the thing that no creature can escape."

Ulquiorra stared at the god in amazement. They were so similar. They both shared a common way of thinking. They both knew that there are some things in the universe that just could not be avoided. "That may all be true," he said quietly. "But there is one thing in the universe that can conquer all of those things."

If he had any, Thanatos would've raised an eyebrow at that. "And what, pray tell, is that?"

Ulquiorra gave the God of Death a serious look and said, "Heart."

"Excuse me?"

"Heart is what conquers everything. Even in death, and even long after the body has decayed, as long as one has heart, they will always have strength. Their soul will live on. This is a lesson that I learned just before my first death." _And it was thanks to her._ His thoughts trailed back to that fateful day. The day he learned what a true heart was.

Thanatos was silent for several moments. "What a ridiculous notion." Ulquiorra glared at the god. "A heart is nothing more than one more thing that dies and becomes dust. It does not 'conquer.' It does not give 'strength.' It is merely another piece of a body that can be torn out."

The former Espada nodded regretfully. "That is how I thought it worked, too. But I have seen things that have proven my beliefs wrong. Now, I suppose that it's my turn to teach another who has lost his heart." Ulquiorra was suddenly surrounded by a flash of black spirit energy. Thanatos could feel the former Arrancar's power increasing to almost tenfold. When the energy dissipated, Death raised his head to show slight surprise.

"What is this?" he asked. Ulquiorra's form had changed drastically. He now had a much more demonic appearance, complete with genuine horns and a black tail that ended in a lion-like tuft.

"This is my Segunda Etapa," Ulquiorra explained. "You are only the second person I have ever revealed this form to. I believe that this will be more than enough to finish you." He cupped his hands together, and then pulled them away from each other, creating a lime-green spear made out of his own spirit energy. "I will show you what heart is, and what it can accomplish." He tossed the spear at the Grim Reaper, who once again didn't even bother to dodge. He raised his hand in an attempt to simply disperse it.

It didn't work. If the God of Death had eyes, they would've gone wide with shock as the spear exploded, surrounding him in a pillar of lime-green power.

Ulquiorra had to use Sonido in order to avoid being caught up in his own attack. He was now a good distance from the explosion. He watched as the blast slowly faded out of existence.

"Impressive." Ulquiorra's eyes widened when he heard the voice of Death behind him. He turned to see the god once again, completely unscathed. "You have a greater level of power than I gave you credit for."

"How did you escape that attack?" Ulquiorra questioned.

"Simple…" Suddenly, the former Arrancar found himself to be surrounded by dozens of copies of the God of Death. The only noticeable difference was that the copies lacked faces. "I manipulate the darkness of my own being and create doppelgangers. The fewer there are, the more they resemble me. Your attack landed on a double."

Ulquiorra looked around at Thanatos's copies. He was totally outnumbered. And for all he knew, he was outmatched as well. _Now I know how Ichigo felt when he and I had our final fight._ Pushing that thought aside, he created another spear. "I suppose I shouldn't hold back."

"Indeed," Thanatos said. He and his doppelgangers readied their scythes. Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes. Fighting a god was far more of a challenge than he had expected.

-o-

A/N: Kind of a sucky ending to this chapter, but I'll make it up to you all in the next one. I promise.


	42. Don't Fear the Demon

A/N: Crap! I forgot to do this again!

Translation for the curious:

Máv̱ri̱ Flóga: Greek for "Black Blaze"

Now, enjoy the chapter.

-o-

Ulquiorra dashed through the air at a rapid pace, dodging the black fireballs that Death sent after him from nearly every possible angle. Even in his Segunda Etapa form, he was being hard-pressed in this battle. He tossed another spear at Thanatos, only for a doppelganger to intercept it and take the devastating blow. The God of Death didn't even look the slightest bit impressed.

"That same trick will not work," he said as he swung his scythe, sending black fire at the former Arrancar. Ulquiorra flickered away from the attack, which crashed into a tree, disintegrating the plant. When Death could see Ulquiorra again, he said, "All can do now is evade. Were you not going to show me the so-called 'power' of a heart?"

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes at the god. He then looked around at the doppelgangers. If he wanted to get to Thanatos, he would first have to eliminate those clones. He quickly dashed into the force of copies. The God of Death was somewhat surprised by this, as were the doppelgangers. The former Arrancar soon destroyed one clone by ramming his fist into its chest. The double sputtered out nonsensical gibberish, then shattered into oblivion.

Death was unfazed by this. He pointed his scythe at the demon-like man. "Destroy him." His copies were only too happy to oblige their master's order. They all charged at Ulquiorra, scythes poised to cut him to shreds. The ex-Espada ducked under one attack and responded with a high kick to the clone's jaw, his clawed foot tearing into what felt like flesh. The doppelganger dissipated as another attempted to behead Ulquiorra, who flew above the scythe's reach, created another spear, and shoved it into the clone's head. He dashed away before the spear exploded, decimating a group of six doppelgangers.

_Eight down,_ he thought to himself. He turned to see plenty more enemies for him to kill off. "This is quickly becoming annoying." He aimed a finger and started launching Balas at Death's copies.

Thanatos eyed the former Espada. Ulquiorra Schiffer was surprisingly strong for a mortal. To be able to go toe-to-toe with Death's doppelgangers for this long was no easy feat. But just watching soon became dull. "I grow bored of this." With a snap of his skeletal fingers, he dispersed all of his doubles. Ulquiorra looked at him in surprise. "You have proven to be a truly worthy foe for the God of Death. Now I shall end you with my own blade." He suddenly appeared in front of the ex-Espada.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened at that moment. Thanatos slashed downward, cutting the ex-Espada's left arm, leg, and wing clean off. Death then kicked Ulquiorra in the stomach, sending him plummeting to earth like a rock.

When the former Arrancar hit the ground, the earth erupted into a shower of dirt and debris. Ulquiorra groaned as he picked himself up. His lost limbs were regenerating quickly, but that didn't mean that it didn't hurt like hell. He looked up at Thanatos, who was slowly descending back to the ground.

The God of Death stared at Ulquiorra for a few silent moments. "Interesting. You can regrow lost limbs. That makes for an excellent advantage in battle." The only response Ulquiorra gave the god was a silent glare. "Do you intend to continue, mortal? No matter what you try, you can never overcome the inevitability of death. This is a meaningless battle among many other pointless struggles."

Ulquiorra then stood up at his full height. "I suppose that means that you want to end this as quickly as possible." He then dropped into a stance. "Very well, then. I will be more than happy to oblige you, God of Death."

"Good. I have grown weary of this strife. Your heart in my hand shall be the last thing you see before my scythe claims your head." The Grim Reaper then charged at Ulquiorra, weapon ready to strike. The former Espada dashed back before the scythe hacked through him again.

Ulquiorra leaped up into the air, gaining altitude again. He looked down to where Thanatos still stood. The God of Death looked as though he were waiting for Ulquiorra to make the first move. The ex-Espada narrowed his eyes slightly. He had to admit: Death definitely had guts, ironically enough. "I thought you were going to try to tear my heart out? You'd have to be within arm's reach in order to do that."

In response, Thanatos suddenly flickered out of existence and reappeared behind Ulquiorra, whose eyes were wide as he flickered several yards away with a Sonido. Death hadn't even raised his blade to strike. "You are facing one of the five inevitabilities: disappointment. You are disappointed in yourself for being too weak to win this battle. Soon you shall face the final two inevitabilities. You will die and rot away. You will become little more than a stain."

Ulquiorra glared at the god. "I will not die today. I will defeat you. I will repay the favor that I owe to Hades."

"He made you human, you fool," Thanatos said condescendingly. "He made you weaker than you already were. And you wish to repay that as a favor?"

"He did not make me weak," Ulquiorra assured the God of Death. "I will show you just how strong I have become."

Thanatos would've scowled. "Is that so? Then show me this 'power.' Show me the power of a heart, so that I may raze it to the ground and shatter your soul." He aimed his scythe at the ex-Espada and began charging the black flames of his Máv̱ri̱ Flóga at the weapon's tip. In response to this, Ulquiorra put his hands together, and then put them in way so that both of his palms were facing Death.

_I have yet to actually use this technique in battle,_ he thought as he began charging his own attack. Pure white energy began to collect at his palms. _I suppose now is as good a time as any._ Within moments, Thanatos unleashed a beam of black fire at the former Arrancar, who stood his ground, and whispered, "Cero Demonio." He unleashed a blast of pure white that crashed into Death's dark inferno. The two attacks met a deadlock. Both combatants began pushing all of their power into their respective attacks, each aiming to overpower the other.

Thanatos couldn't believe what he was seeing. His Máv̱ri̱ Flóga was being resisted by a mere mortal! How was that even possible? "How?" Death shouted to Ulquiorra. "How are you able to match my power!? I am death! I am inevitability personified! How is it that you are my equal!?"

"Two reasons," Ulquiorra said calmly. "First, your attack is attempting to push back the ultimate Cero that only the top five Espada have ever been able to master. It was only to be used as the ultimate last resort. The second reason is… heart." When he said that, his attack overpowered Thanatos's, and shocking the God of Death beyond words. Death's black flames were dissipated, and Ulquiorra's ultimate attack consumed him. He released a scream of pain as the blast decimated his body and forced him back into human form.

The attack ended. Thanatos stood, body smoking, clothes torn to shreds. He collapsed onto the ground without a word. When he was certain that the battle was finally over, Ulquiorra reverted to his original form and fell down to his knee, panting. When he regained his breath, he looked up to the sky. He had won. He had conquered Death.

-o-

Translation for the curious:

Cero Demonio: Spanish for "Demon's Zero" (that's not a typo: "cero" is actually Spanish for "zero")


	43. Strings of Fate

Ichigo could sense Ulquiorra's spiritual pressure suddenly spike. He then saw a massive explosion of pure white energy. The spirit energy from that explosion felt shockingly familiar. "Was that… a Cero?" He shook his head. He couldn't focus on that right now. He had to go find Kronos. Then he would kick the bastard's ass with both feet.

He continued onward, running for the hill that Ulquiorra had directed him to. He still couldn't believe that they were on the same side now. Every other time they had met, they tried to kill each other, with both of them succeeding at some point in their rivalry. As he moved forward, he felt six spiritual pressures suddenly crash down onto the area. They all felt somewhat familiar. He definitely recognized Zeus's among them. When he realized this, he smirked. If the King of the Gods was finally getting in on the action, then the rest of this war would be a cakewalk.

-o-

Lightning struck down and crushed dozens of monsters at once. Massive vines strangled others. Knives pierced chests and skulls. Black flames devoured demons. A flash flood crashed through a platoon of monsters, drowning them all in one shot. Golden fire enveloped everything else that dared to oppose the original six.

Zeus's spear made short work of everything in his path. With his five most powerful comrades at his side, he marched through the hordes, all six of them tearing apart any monster brave enough or stupid enough to get in their way.

"Ah!" Poseidon sighed cheerfully. "This reminds me of the good ol' days! Thrashing our way through an army trying to take us down!"

"Can't you focus on the actual fight, Aquaman?" Demeter said snidely, earning a glare from the sea god. The Goddess of Agriculture and Nature willed a huge vine to smash a minotaur into the ground, crushing the monster's spine and crippling it. "This isn't a game."

"Can neither of you hold your tongues?" asked Hades in his usual emotionless manner as he enveloped several hellhounds in hellfire. "You are both annoying me."

"And that high-and-mighty, faceless personality of yours annoys me," Hestia spat at the Lord of the Underworld. She _really_ didn't like working with Mr. Personality. "Can't you at least be a little more passionate about protecting your home?"

"No," Hades replied bluntly.

Hera rolled her eyes at them all. "All of you focus! We're fighting a war here! Act like it!" Out of frustration, she tossed a knife into the eye of a Cyclops that had tried to get in a cheap shot. She put it out of its misery by leaping up and slitting its throat.

They forged onward, crushing all hostile forces, following the weight of Kronos's spiritual pressure. As he led his comrades through Olympus, Zeus narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Kronos wasn't one to simply allow his enemies to reach him. He much preferred to wait until things got dire enough on his side to demand his presence on the battlefield. To let his enemies know where he was wasn't like the Titan Lord in the least. It had to be a trap.

_If it is a trap,_ Zeus thought as his lightning flashed through the sky and tore apart a dozen monsters. _Then so be it._

-o-

Kronos could feel the spirit energy of the six strongest Olympians approaching. He also felt the spirit energy of the orange-haired boy who supposedly able to fight him. He found that quaint little thought amusing. No human, regardless of how powerful they are, could ever even _begin_ to hope to best him. He was the King of the Titans. The ultimate being. His power was beyond the gods.

"This should at least make for an entertaining joke," he thought aloud with an evil, ambitious grin.

-o-

Ichigo had managed to reach the hill without too much trouble. There were a few monsters here and there, but they weren't as numerous. He quickly started his way up the rocky hillside to reach the true monster who awaited him at the top.

It was a fairly difficult climb, but nothing he couldn't handle. When he finally reached level ground, he looked around the area. He didn't see anyone at all. Did Ulquiorra lie about Kronos's whereabouts? No. He may not have liked the former Espada much, but the guy had never told an actual lie before. Why would he start now?

"Kronos!" he shouted. "I know you're here! Show yourself!"

"Up." The voice caught Ichigo off guard. He looked up and saw a tall, powerful-looking man standing in the air. He wasn't quite as muscular as Ichigo had expected, but he still had a powerful aura of intimidation around him. His hair was silver, and his eyes were totally golden. He wore black armor that covered his torso, but left his arms exposed. He also had a dark red cape hooked onto the back of his armor. He had a menacing, regal look about him.

"You're… Kronos?" Ichigo inquired as he readied his sword.

"Yes. I am the King of the Titans. The legitimate ruler of this and every universe." Ichigo's eyes narrowed at the Titan King. "I can see that you wish to face me in battle." The Titan vanished from view. Ichigo's eyes widened when he felt  
Kronos's spiritual pressure coming from just a foot behind him.

Kronos stood with his back turned to Ichigo's own back. "You are merely human. Your strength is miniscule at best. It is something that is as easily crushed beneath my foot as an ant." Ichigo turned to slash at Kronos, who vanished in a flicker of movement just before Ichigo's blade could make contact. "Far too slow, boy." Ichigo turned and saw the Titan Lord standing on the other side of the hilltop. "You may have been strong once, but even with the power you had then, it would be a futile and hopeless effort on your part."

Ichigo gave the Titan a surprised look. "You… know about my old powers?"

Kronos nodded. "Ever since my first disgraceful defeat at the hands of my ungrateful son, Zeus, I have been working on a plot for my redemption. And I came up with…" He pointed at Ichigo. "… you."

"Wait, what?"

"Your entire life was planned by me. Your very existence was plotted out before even Shigekuni Genryusai Yamamoto was born. Becoming a Soul Reaper, confronting Aizen's quest for power, your never-ending battle against Hollows, every battle you have ever fought. I was the one who set you entire state of being into motion."

"How?" Ichigo demanded. He was almost shaking. "Why would you do something like that?"

"I did it all because I needed a vassal."

"A vassal?"

"Yes. Though, more accurately, I desired an apprentice. I wanted to create the ultimate warrior. One that was a greater servant to me than Hyperion, and obedient enough to never betray me. Your destiny is not to protect Olympus, Ichigo Kurosaki. Your fate is to annihilate it, and everything that opposes your master."

Ichigo's eyes were wide with utter shock. His entire life had been plotted out by the most evil being in the universe? Was he really just a pawn in some demented game? He shook his head, pushing any doubts out of his mind. "You're lying! There's no way that I could be your puppet! I'll never be your apprentice!"

"Foolish child," Kronos chided him. "You have no choice in the matter. If you deny your fate, then all the people that you have grown to care for, your friends, family, acquaintances, even the woman you have come to love, will be destroyed." Ichigo's defiant expression returned to shock. "Another thing I manipulated in your life: all the people you have befriended and cared for were born with a destiny leading them to become little more than bargaining chips to keep you docile while under my wing. If you wish to protect them, then you will kneel and swear eternal fealty to me."

Ichigo was completely speechless. Did this bastard really manipulate not his life, but that of his friends and family as well? "How can anyone do any of that? How is that possible?"

Kronos actually chuckled at Ichigo's question. "The Fates are submissive to me. I am not only the King of the Titans, but as one of the three most powerful beings in the universe, I am also the master of one the most powerful elements in the universe. My father, Ouranus, was the embodiment of the eternally vast sky. My son, Zeus, is the God of Lightning, a force of nature more intense than the sun. I am the Lord of Time. The flow of time is my plaything."

-o-

A/N: Evil cliffhanger! Bwahahahaha!


	44. Awake

Orihime and Athena had arrived at the Olympian Palace right after Zeus and the others had left. With a meeting of the gods unofficially adjourned, Athena had decided that the two of them should head back out into the battle. Orihime followed her teacher without question as they followed Zeus's spiritual pressure. They eventually met up with Byakuya, Renji, Rukia, Uryu, Chad, and the others. Kenpachi had asked Orihime to heal Yachiru's broken leg, a request the red-haired girl was happy to oblige to. Afterwards, they continued ahead to together.

After several minutes, Rukia asked, "Are all the invading forces gone? I don't see any of them."

"They've more than likely decided to hide behind their leader," Athena answered. "Monsters tend to do that when they realize that they're fighting a losing battle. Either that, or they're regrouping and about to attack again."

"That's a cheerful thought," Renji deadpanned.

"Though it is a surprisingly sensible strategy," Byakuya stated. Athena nodded her confirmation.

"It's an intelligent move on the part of the enemy."

Kenpachi's lips pulled into a toothy grin. "Heh, works for me! The more guys I get to fight, the better!"

"Yay!" Yachiru shouted as raised a fist into the air in excitement. "Kenny's gonna fight some more!"

Athena gave the pink-haired child a confused stare. Yachiru Kusajishi seemed very excitable when it came to violence. A little girl that was so accepting of chaos was a _very_ disturbing thought.

-o-

Ichigo stared wide-eyed at Kronos. He couldn't believe what he had just heard from the Titan Lord. "You can control time?"

"Yes," Kronos confirmed. "As the Lord of Time, I am capable of bending the flow of the element. My power is absolute. Even if you had all of your old powers and more, you could never hope to defeat me. But we need not fight. As I said, it is your destiny to become my servant. If you deny me, then I will destroy all that you love, one person at a time. Then, when all hope leaves you and your soul is consumed by despair, I will end your existence."

Ichigo gritted his teeth angrily. "I… I won't do anything you say! I'll never be your servant!"

Kronos glared at the orang-haired teen. He was so arrogant. "Such audacity. You cannot defy your destiny. It will only lead you from one plain of suffering to a land of even greater torment. Kneel."

"Never!" Ichigo yelled. He charged at Kronos with a battle cry, sword aimed to slice at the Titan's neck. Kronos didn't move. Ichigo swung his sword. The attack landed. But no harm was done. The blade didn't even so much as leave a scratch on Kronos's neck. The Titan's eyes studied the blade for a few silent moments. He then looked at Ichigo's hands.

"You are bleeding, boy," he stated bluntly. He was right. Ichigo could see the red liquid dripping out of his hands. It was just like his first fight with Kenpachi. His sword couldn't break his opponent's skin, and he ended up being the one who shed blood. "You are such a fool. I shall give you one last opportunity. Kneel, and you and your loved ones shall be spared death."

Ichigo backed away. Kronos hadn't even flinched when he had struck him. The ex-Soul Reaper, on the other hand, was trembling now. He was too weak to even land a good blow, let alone win! Was this all really just hopeless? Should he just do as Kronos demanded? _Dammit! What the hell should I do!?_ "I…"

Before he could answer, he felt six massive spiritual pressures suddenly land on his shoulders all at once. They were the six energies he had sensed earlier, Zeus's included. He turned around saw the King of the Gods standing with five others. He recognized Hades immediately, and all but one woman, who was carrying a sword made from golden flames, he recognized from the Hall of the Gods.

"Kronos," Zeus said in a dangerous tone. "You are not welcome here. Leave now and you might be able to escape a punishment three times more harsh than your original defeat."

"Ah, Zeus," Kronos said with an evil grin. "It is so good to see you again, my son. I have long-awaited this reunion of our family."

"I'll bet you have," said the man holding up a trident.

"This is no reunion, Kronos," said the woman with fiery sword.

"Ah, yes," the Titan Lord said with a venomous tone. "Hestia. How fares my eldest daughter?"

"You were disowned," the named Hestia replied.

"And you all call me coldhearted," Hades commented. He turned his attention to Kronos. "You are outnumbered, Titan. You should seriously consider surrendering."

Kronos chuckled malevolently. "You incompetent fools." Suddenly, time felt as though it had slowed to a crawl.

-o-

Orihime, Athena, and the others finally reached a hill, where they could sense seven powerful spiritual pressures and…

"Ichigo!" Orihime exclaimed excitedly. Her friends nodded, confirming her guess.

"We should hurry," said Athena. "Six of those spiritual pressures belong to the six most powerful Olympians in existence. That last spirit energy has to belong to Kronos." They were about to make their way up the hill when suddenly… five of the spiritual pressures dropped down to little more than a trace. Athena's eyes widened. "No!" She and the others practically sprinted up the hill.

When they arrived they saw five people sprawled out on the ground, covered in bloody wounds. The only ones standing were Zeus, a man in black armor, and a shaky-looking Ichigo. Orihime immediately made her way to the orange-haired boy.

"Ichigo!" she called to him. He just looked at her in shock. When she was right next to him, she put her hands on his shoulders and asked, "Ichigo, are you okay?"

He continued staring at her, which made her blush. Finally, he said, "Orihime." He shook his head. "You all have of get out of here!" He pointed to the man wearing the black armor. "That's Kronos! He'll kill you all!"

Kronos laughed at that. "Quite the contrary, boy! Did you forget that I intend to spare them once you destroy Olympus?"

Eyes went wide all around and quickly fell on Ichigo. Orihime was the one to ask, "Ichigo, what is he talking about?"

The orange-haired boy went silent again. "He said… that's he's the one who made my destiny. And that you were all just bargaining chips to keep me in line." When Ichigo said that, Zeus sent a hateful glare.

"You forged the destiny of a mortal?" the king god asked the Titan Lord with a venomous tone. Kronos nodded. "That is an unforgivable act! No one but the Fates has the authority to set someone's destiny!"

"And what are you going to do, O, mighty king?" Kronos spat back. "It has already been decided. It is the boy's fate to aid in the destruction of Olympus, and to serve me for all eternity. There is no other path for him but a road to despair and self-destruction. One cannot escape their fate. It is unavoidable as death."

"I said I wouldn't join you, and I meant it!" Ichigo shouted at the Titan in defiance. "You won't ever control-!" Orihime's hands suddenly vanished from his shoulders. His eyes widened when she saw her in Kronos's grip. He held her in a headlock as she struggled to break free from the impossibly sudden imprisonment. "What the hell? Let her go!"

"Oh, I think not," Kronos said cruelly. "I told you that if you did not comply with my demands, I would kill all of your petty friends one by one. And who better to start with than this lovely young woman? After all…" He gave Ichigo a twisted grin. "She is the one you love, is she not?"

Orihime's eyes widened at that revelation. Ichigo loved her? Under just about any other circumstance, she would've leaped for joy at the news. But right now, she could only acknowledge the fact that she was being held in place by the arm of the King of the Titans. She was shaking in fear of this powerful and evil man.

"Kneel and swear fealty, boy," Kronos said as he tightened his grip around Orihime's neck, nearly strangling the girl. "Only then will her life be spared."

Ichigo clenched his fists so tightly that he was beginning to draw out more of his own blood. It was true what Kronos said. He harbored an unspoken love for Orihime Inoue. He couldn't ever bear it if she ever looked hurt or sad. Especially if there was something that he could easily do to help her. But should he do this? Could he? Could he really sacrifice countless innocent lives just save the life of one person? He had always considered himself a protector, but who should he protect now? His love, or everyone else? He began trembling in anxiety. Dozens of possible scenarios played out in his head, none of them ending in a way he would ever perceive as "positive."

He was slowly coming to a decision. One that he would most likely hate himself for in the end, regardless of the results. "I-"

Before he could finish, there was a flicker of movement around Orihime, who vanished from Kronos's arms. The Titan let a wide-eyed look of rage form on his face. Orihime reappeared next to Ichigo, as she was being placed back onto her feet by…

"Ulquiorra!" Ichigo exclaimed. The former Espada nodded as Orihime stared at him in shock.

"Ulquiorra…?" she asked quietly.

"I will explain later," Ulquiorra assured her. He turned his focus to Kronos. "For now, we must face him."

Before the ex-Espada could do anything more, Zeus stepped forward, Lightning Spear in hand. "I recommend that you leave Kronos to me. I am the only one capable of facing him."

Kronos's enraged expression became one of evil amusement. "Is that so? Do you think that my little pet would agree with you?"

"I'm not your pet!" Ichigo shouted indignantly. His face quickly took on a confused look as the Lord of Time began laughing. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. It is merely just that I was not talking about you." That raised some eyebrows. Zeus's eyes narrowed. "I was talking about my little pet who was sealed away under this very hilltop millennia ago. The great Demon of Dread!"

Zeus's eyes went wide. "You can't mean…"

"Yes," Kronos said with a sadistic grin. "I am speaking of none other than Typhon! As we speak, my legion of monsters is carefully chipping away at the seal that binds the demon to this hill called Etna! And in a matter of mere moments, he shall awaken one again!"

And as if on cue, the hill began shaking precariously. A deep, growling sound reverberated throughout the area. A spiritual pressure unlike any that any of them had ever felt crashed into them. It felt like a planet had been dropped onto their shoulders. It was an absolute sign. Typhon had awakened.

-o-

A/N: New longest chapter! Typhon's awake! Let the bricks be shat!


	45. The Divine Kings

The earth shook as the demon woke up from a slumber that had been intended to be eternal. They could all feel the monster's unreal spiritual pressure crash into them like a meteor onto a fly. Soon, a massive, clawed hand tore out of the ground nearly half a mile off to the right. Another hand rose from the ground about the same distance to the left. Those hands looked big enough to crush Yammy's torso at maximum size with terrifying ease. The hands were soon followed by a pair of arms. A deep, growling, explosion of a voice could be heard. "I… liiive."

Zeus couldn't believe this. The most feared monster the universe had ever seen had awakened after being trapped in sealed slumber for over five thousand years. He could only say one thing to those around him: "Run!" Not even the blood-thirsty Kenpachi Zaraki argued as they fled as fast as they could.

-o-

Lycaon's wolf pack followed Yoruichi as she sprinted at top speed to the source of that berserk spiritual pressure. She knew for a fact that Ichigo would probably try to fight whoever owned that energy. He wouldn't stand a snowball's chance in hell.

She looked back at the wolves that followed her. They had apparently unanimously elected her as their new leader. She didn't mind that at all. As long as they didn't slow her down, she was fine with it.

As she and the pack sprinted through the Olympian City, she felt several spiritual pressures approaching her. She quickly recognized some of them, Ichigo, Byakuya, Orihime, etc. But she also noticed three unfamiliar energies with them, along with five that seemed to be lower than what would've been safe for survival. She quickly encountered the group.

"Yoruichi!" Orihime shouted. Yoruichi smiled at the girl, happy to see that everyone was all right, even if they seemed a little winded. The moment she saw the dark-haired man wearing the white shikausho, however, she quickly went into a fighting stance.

Realizing what Yoruichi was doing, Orihime stood in front of her and said, "Ulquiorra's not an enemy. At least not anymore." Yoruichi glared at the ex-Espada, but reluctantly nodded.

After a brief explanation of the wolves following Yoruichi, Zeus explained the situation to her. She gave a dangerous scowl when she learned that Kronos had apparently manipulated Ichigo's life from the very beginning. Her expression became one of shock when she learned about Typhon's reemergence. She had read about the demon in old texts when she was younger, so she knew that they were now dealing with something that was way out of their league. The wolves that now followed her began whining, showing their own discontent with the situation.

"This is bad," she said. "Very bad." Zeus nodded grimly.

"Yes," he said as he turned his attention to his fallen comrades. Since they were immortal, he knew Kronos couldn't have killed them, so he knew that they would be all right. Right now, he had to focus on coming up with an effective strategy to use against Typhon. Suddenly, a monstrous roared pierced the air, interrupting his musing.

All heads turned to where Typhon was rising from. The monster's head was slowly rising from the ground, dirt and mud dropping off of its face, and revealing nightmarish features. It was generally human, but had large, bestial fangs and demonic horns stretching out of the forehead and curving around to the point where their tips nearly touched the base of the ears, which were pointed vertically up.

"We're dead," Rangiku muttered with a terrified look.

"No, we are not," Zeus assured her. "As long as I draw breath, Typhon shall not harm any innocent creature." He then walked off towards the great beast, spear at the ready, fully intent on facing the Demon of Dread.

As Zeus left, Ichigo squeezed his fists. He was utterly useless here! He was nothing more than a walking liability! Without his powers, he could do nothing but hold the others back! What could he possibly do? A hand on his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts. He turned to see the owner of the hand. "Orihime…"

"Ichigo…" They looked at each other for a few moments. Suddenly, Orihime hugged him, catching him off guard. "You can't quit, Ichigo." The orange-haired teen looked at her in obvious surprise. Did she know what he was thinking just now?

"You can't give up. And I know, deep down, that you won't. No matter what happens, you never quit. You never give in. And…" She looked up and into his brown eyes. "You always keep your promises."

_"I promise, Orihime," he said with a determined look. "Everything will work out in the end. That's a promise that I intend to keep, no matter what."_

Ichigo remembered that promise he had made. It felt so long ago. He was determined to win then. Now, he was just about ready to throw in the towel. It made him physically sick. Why the hell would someone like him be so ready to quit just because his enemy got a little tougher. He gently pushed away from Orihime. He had renewed determination burning in his eyes. To give up now was to throw his life away.

"Thank you, Orihime," he said. He then turned his attention to the gargantuan Typhon. The demon's torso was visible now, revealing rippling muscle and scaly, snakelike skin. The former Soul Reaper's eyes narrowed. "You're right. I can't give up, and I won't." He turned back to his friends, now counting Ulquiorra. "But I doubt I could do this alone. Are you guys up to helping me kill two of the biggest bad guys the world has ever seen?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Rukia said with a smirk.

"We're always ready to fight!" Yachiru shouted excitedly. "Right, Kenny?"

The blood-thirsty Soul Reaper grinned. "Hell yeah! I've been waiting for a new opponent since I beat Ares!"

"You really shouldn't expect any of us to back down," Uryu said as pushed up his glasses. "I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we won't let you fight that thing alone."

Everyone around gave affirmative nods. Ichigo smirked. "All right, then." He turned around, facing the rising Typhon. "Let's go!"

And they were off.

-o-

Zeus now stood before his father once again. The King of the Titans faced the King of the Gods with an evil smile on his face.

"I had thought that you had lost your nerve, my son," Kronos said with a tone of self-righteous superiority.

"You are an even bigger fool than before," Zeus said as he dropped into a fighting stance. "I have never been one to back away from a fight, _father_." He said the last word with emphasized venom in his tone.

The Titan Lord chuckled. "This brings back memories, doesn't it? You and your ungrateful brethren betrayed your loving parents to acquire the power that comes with being in the ruling class."

"'Loving?' You swallowed my brothers and sisters whole and were completely willing to do so with me just so none of us would be able to overthrow you."

"And I am perfectly fine with doing it again." The two kings glared at each other as Typhon continued to slowly rise from his prison. Zeus's spear crackled with electricity. Kronos stretched out a hand and summoned forth his personal weapon: a scythe that can cut through the fabric of time itself. The Olympian and the Titan eyed each other like wolves preparing to fight over territory. They charged at each other, both swinging their weapons and entering a lock.

The battle of kings began anew.

-o-

A/N: Yet another cliffhanger. Be patient, folks. Trust me, it's only going to get better.


	46. The Lake of Nectar

They could feel it. They could feel the spiritual pressures of both Zeus and Kronos clashing against each other. Both pressures were so vast, even Kenpachi was having difficulty staying on his feet. They had stopped when they realized Zeus was battling the Titan Lord. They could see flashes of lightning where the two rulers clashed. They were moving at speeds that made light look like a slug.

"Incredible," Rukia said in awe.

"I'll be honest," said Athena, who looked on with a look of admiration in her eyes. "I've never actually seen Lord Zeus fight before. Seeing his power now… I almost feel… inadequate as a goddess."

The others nodded in agreement. They could only watch in sheer amazement as the two kings fought to the finish.

-o-

Zeus leaped over a slash from Kronos's time-ripping scythe. He countered with a jab with his electric spear at the Titan's head. Kronos dashed to the left, successfully avoided a bolt of lightning that tore through the ground below. The Titan Lord grinned as hefted his leg to kick the God of Lightning in the gut, but Zeus grabbed his leg, flipped over the Lord of Time, and tossed the Titan several yards away. Kronos slammed his hand into the air and gained friction, skidding to a halt. He looked up at Zeus with an evil smile.

"I see you have not lost your touch, Zeus," the Titan commented. He stood and began expertly twirling his scythe. "This is actually becoming a _very_ entertaining match. I only wish you would enter your true form, just so we can fight as true deities!"

Zeus narrowed his eyes at the King of the Titans. His vision went down to where he could now see Athena, Ichigo Kurosaki, and the others watching. He mentally cursed. He couldn't enter his true form with the mortals there.

Kronos followed Zeus's gaze and saw their audience. "Oh, I see. You are afraid that the sight of your true form would destroy the mortals." He chuckled when Zeus glared at him. "Of course. You are such the bleeding heart, are you not? You wish not to enter your true form to spare the lives of a bunch of _lesser beings_. Very well, then. I suppose I could just destroy you as you are!" He charged, scythe prepped to split somebody in half.

Zeus quickly blocked the attack with his spear and swung the blunt end up, aiming to strike the Titan in the chin. Kronos grinned evilly and grabbed the spear's end just before it could make contact. Lightning stormed around them as the kings pulled away from each other, then charged at each other again. Their weapons crashed against each other again and again, both tools of war screaming for the blood of their enemy. And all the while, Typhon continued to slowly rise from the ground. The entire sight was like something from the mind of a madman.

The two kings were evenly matched as their weapons clashed once again and entered a deadlock. The combatants began pushing their weapons with all their might, each trying to overpower the other. Zeus glared at Kronos, and Kronos glared right back. They were in that deadlock for several minutes before the Titan Lord began laughing as though he had just won.

"What's so funny, Kronos?" Zeus asked with an angered expression. "Have you realized your own weakness?" That only made Kronos start laughing harder.

"Of course not, you fool!" the Titan Lord yelled at the Olympian King. "I am simply happy to have my pet back!" Zeus's eyes widened. He pushed away from Kronos, the Titan doing the same. The King of the Gods turned his attention to the rising Typhon… who now stood at his full height, completely awake.

"No…" the god said in horror as the Demon of Dread unleashed a roar of rage and contempt.

-o-

Ichigo and the others stared wide-eyed at the gargantuan beast before them. They could now see its lower body. Instead of legs, Typhon had a massive snake's tail to slither around on. They could also see a pair of skeletal wings on his back, which slowly stretched out as though they had muscle and flesh on them. The monster released a roar, which was accompanied by a ridiculously impossible level of spiritual pressure.

"That's… Typhon?" Ichigo asked as he struggled to stand under the demon's spiritual pressure. "How the hell are we going to fight that thing?"

"Only Lord Zeus has enough power to beat back the demon," Athena said, trembling with shock and awe at the sight of the Demon of Dread. "But right now, I doubt he'll enter his true form to do so."

"What?" Orihime asked in shock. "Why wouldn't he do that?"

"Because…" The Goddess of Wisdom and Battle looked over all the Soul Reapers and humans. "Lord Zeus's true form packs so much power, that any mortal who lays eyes upon it is instantly disintegrated."

"Is it really that powerful?" Toshiro asked with wide eyes. Athena just nodded.

They continued staring at Typhon in mixed feelings of shock, awe, and horror. They all braced themselves for an attack from the behemoth. They were all surprised when Typhon began turning around and heading away from them.

Athena's eyes narrowed. Why would Typhon turn and just leave like that. Unless… there was something he could use to his advantage. Her eyes suddenly widened. "He's heading for the lake!"

"Lake?" Renji asked.

"The Lake of Nectar," Athena said, her eyes still wide in fear of a possibility that only she knew right now. "It's a lake made up entirely of nectar, the drink of the gods. If Typhon gets to it and drinks even a drop, his full power will be restored and he'll be totally unstoppable! We have to get there before he does!" She ran off, leading the group of non-gods to Typhon's destination. Fortunately, Typhon was slow, so they could probably get to the lake first.

_We can only hope at this point,_ Athena thought as she sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her.

-o-

They eventually passed Typhon completely. Following Athena's lead, the group of humans and Soul Reapers soon arrived to the largest lake any of them had ever seen. It was filled to the brim with a clear gold liquid, like divine water. The light bounced and pierced the lake's surface, creating rainbows that were both reflected and refracted.

"It's beautiful," Orihime said in awe.

Athena nodded. "Yes. But it can be deadly as well. The nectar here is so concentrated that even we gods have to be careful how much of it we drink. Otherwise, our bodies would burst into flames, and we would have to find a new one."

"It's that potent?" asked Uryu. Athena nodded. "Then all the more reason to make sure that Typhon doesn't get to it." They all turned and faced the enormous Demon of Dread, who was slowly getting closer to the lake.

"This might just be the last battle any of us ever fight," Athena pointed out. She materialized the largest sword in her private arsenal – a six-foot claymore – and gave it a few test swings.

Ichigo smirked at the goddess's comment. "Well, if it is…" He held his sword at the ready. "Then let's give that oversized playground bully a fight to remember!" Everyone silently agreed with the orange-haired teen. They went into their full power right there. They weren't about to let Typhon through without any resistance.


	47. Lost Cause

While Typhon was incredibly slow, he was still drawing nearer to the Lake of Nectar with every passing second. The group trying to stop the Demon of Dread was having little success. The gargantuan monster simply shrugged off even their most powerful attacks. They couldn't even land as much as a scratch. Athena's mind was racing with every battle strategy known to man, but each one she used became progressively useless.

She saw Byakuya throwing his petal-like blades at the great beast to no avail. Renji's serpentine bankai launched energy blasts at as fast a rate as possible, only to slightly annoy the demon. Rukia's ice attacks proved equally useless as she tried and failed to freeze the monster in his tracks. Chad's newfound Venganza, Uryu's Perfekten Schuss, Ulquiorra's Cero Demonio, and even Kenpachi's kendo proved worthless. The Goddess of Wisdom and Battle mentally cursed. They weren't getting anywhere!

"Dammit," she said as bit her thumb in an attempt to calm her nerves. She was currently in her true form, which looked just like her Roman persona's true form. Her attacks were far more powerful in this state, but even with all that power, she was just as hopeless as the others. This was clearly a futile battle.

-o-

Zeus charged at Kronos with his spear crackling, aiming to impale the Titan. The Lord of Time simply leaped up and swung down at the ruler of Olympus, who wasn't fast enough to dodge the blow. The scythe blade tore through his armor and cut open a huge gash on his chest. He managed to leap back, but then fell to his knee, clutching the diagonal wound on his torso. He could hear Kronos laughing at him.

"You used to be such the fearsome warrior, son," the Titan Lord said with an evil grin. "Where is your fighting spirit? Have you not noticed that those mortals are gone now? They left in an effort to stop Typhon." Zeus's eyes widened at this.

The King of the Gods slowly stood up, glaring at his father. "If that is the case, then I guess that I should no longer hold back." His body was suddenly surrounded by a divine golden aura as he began to enter his true form. Kronos grinned at this.

"Excellent," he said as he began to enter his own true form. They were both enveloped in golden energy as they unleashed their full power.

The energy around Zeus dissipated first. He now had six gold eagle wings on his back. His entire body was enveloped in electricity. Even his beard had been replaced with one made of lightning. Soon after, Kronos's true form was revealed. His armor had turned into gold, and his cape no longer existed. His now looked as though energy were seeping out of them. Upon his back was a pair of bronze, dragon wings. They both still held their weapons in hand.

"It has been a long time since we last fought at our full strength, son," Kronos said with a look of faux nostalgia. "This certainly brings back memories." Zeus did not respond. The Lord of Time chuckled. "You are right. No more talking." He dropped into a fighting stance. "Let us end this petty feud!"

The King of the Gods then charged at Kronos with lightning speed. The Lord of Time did the same against Zeus.

-o-

Ichigo could only watch as his friends fought hopelessly against the Demon of Dread. He had been the one who had spoken big for all of them, but in his current, powerless state, he was perfectly useless. He could probably charge at Typhon and slash at the demon's snakelike lower body, but what would that prove? He cursed aloud.

_How the hell do we beat something that only Zeus has ever been able to defeat?_ That question had appeared in his mind several times in the past second alone. He clenched his fists, tightening his grip on the hilt of his powerless sword. _Dammit! What the hell do we do!?_

He was just about to just blindly charge into the fight when he felt the spiritual pressure of Kronos nearby. It was coming from above. He and everyone who was trying to topple Typhon, who now stood still in respect for his master, looked up. Their eyes widened in horror.

There, in the sky, was Kronos in his human form, holding a horribly battered and scarred Zeus in his own human form by the back of his neck. The King of the Gods hung limp in the Titan Lord's grasp, his armor in pieces that occasionally chipped off and fell to the ground. The Lord of Time was laughing maniacally.

"Your great king has fallen!" he announced to all who could hear his voice. "Olympus shall follow suit! The Titans shall reign supreme once again for all eternity!" He tossed Zeus's limp, unconscious body to the ground.

"No!" Athena shouted as she flew over to catch the king before he could crash into the ground. She caught him in her arms and landed as gently as possible on the ground. "Lord Zeus! Wake up! You're the only one strong enough to save us! Please, I beg you to wake up!" The king gave no response as blood continued to seep from his wounds. Athena's eyes were becoming wet. "Father! Please wake up!"

_Father?_ Ichigo thought in surprise. That thought made him angrier than he would've expected. His fist clenched tighter, nearly drawing blood. He glared up at Kronos. "You bastard."

The Titan Lord chuckled as he descended to the ground. "And what do you plan to do about it, boy? You cannot win. Zeus's fall was inevitable. If you kneel now, though, swear fealty to me, and follow your destiny, no more lives would need to be taken."

Ichigo sneered at the Titan. He readied his sword and charged at Kronos, releasing a battle cry fueled by rage. The Lord of Time merely frowned at this. As Ichigo swung his blade at Kronos, the Titan Lord vanished from his view, only to reappear with his left hand around the orange-haired teen's throat. Before Ichigo knew it, they were floating a hundred feet above the center of the Lake of Nectar. He had been caught off guard when Kronos's grip appeared on his neck, and he dropped his sword in response. Now all he could do was struggle uselessly against the Titan's grasp.

"I suppose it is only fit that you should die first, boy," Kronos said with an angered expression. "You will now die knowing full well that everyone you knew and loved will soon follow. Goodbye." The Titan Lord let go of Ichigo's neck, letting the boy fall straight towards the lake.

Everyone at the shore watched with wide eyes as this happened. Orihime especially was horrified at the turn of events. When the man she loved finally broke through the lake's surface and didn't come back up, her eyes flooded with tears.

"ICHIGOOOOOOOO!" She knew that screaming his name and crying would not help, but she couldn't stop herself. The best hopes for Olympus had just been erased.

-o-

A/N: This is not the end.


	48. Resurrection

A/N: Geez. I was just half an hour late to getting the WiiU today. Man, that sucks. Oh well. I guess I can wait until the stores in my hometown are restocked.

Enough about my problems, though. Enjoy.

-o-

The salty tears from her eyes stung Orihime's cheeks. She kept her eyes closed, praying that this was all just a bad dream and that she would wake up at any minute. But she kept hearing Kronos's sadistic laughter as the Titan Lord descended to the ground.

The Lord of Time touched down on the lakeshore. He eyed the mortals and Athena cruelly. "All of your efforts have proven futile and your resistance worthless. However, if you swear to serve me, your lives will be spared. What say you?" He received a number of glares.

"You can go straight to hell," said Kenpachi with a sneer.

"We would never work for you, you bastard!" Renji shouted in a rage. All allies of Olympus felt the same. They didn't need to voice it.

The Titan Lord shook his head in disappointment. "Mortals and Olympians are such fools. Do you truly believe that any of you has what it takes to face me?"

"We can at least give it a try," said Ulquiorra in his Segunda Etapa. He flapped his wings and charged at the Titan, an energy spear at the ready. Kronos sidestepped the attack and countered by slamming his knee into the ex-Espada's stomach. Ulquiorra coughed up blood from the force of the attack as the Titan Lord jabbed his back with an elbow.

As the former Arrancar fell to the ground clutching his stomach in pain, Kronos glared at the others. "Does anyone else wish to suffer my wrath?"

-o-

Silence. Warmth. Burning. That's all Ichigo experienced as he sank deeper and deeper into the Lake of Nectar. The divine liquid surrounding him felt like acid trying to dissolve his flesh. But he was too weak to truly acknowledge it. He was too weak to move. He couldn't even make the motions to breathe, and even if he could, it wouldn't have done him much good.

_Is this… the end?_ he thought to himself. _Dammit. I'm going to die, aren't I?_ He remembered his promise. _I'm sorry, Orihime. I guess I lied._

He continued sinking, cursing himself for his weakness. He hated himself for breaking his promise. The only negative emotion he couldn't feel was self-pity. He felt too much self-hate to feel anything else.

But as he began to quietly accept death, he heard a woman's say, _"Ichigo…"_ His eyes snapped open at the sound of his own name. _"You must not give in here. If you lose your body, then fight with your soul."_

_Who is that?_ he thought to himself.

_"I am she who bore the King of Olympus,"_ the voice replied to his question. His eyes widened when realized this.

_You can hear my thoughts?_

_"As long as you are within this lake, yes. Ichigo Kurosaki. You are the only one left who has the heart and the strength to stand against the Titan Lord Kronos and the Dread Demon Typhon. You must not surrender here."_

_How? How can I beat them? I don't have my powers anymore. I'm useless in this war._

_"The answer is simple. But first, let me ask a question of my own: do you have the courage and the resolve to stop Kronos, no matter the cost? Do you have the will to defy the so-called destiny that the Lord of Time has laid down before you?"_

He only needed a split second to come up with an answer. _Yes. I'll do whatever it takes to stop that bastard, even if it's the last thing I do. But how do I do that?_

_"All that you need to do…"_ The voice went silent for a moment. _"Drink the nectar around you."_ Ichigo's eyes widened at this. _"Do not fear, young one, for you bear a gift given from Kronos that he can never take back. Now drink."_

_What "gift" did Kronos give me?_ Ichigo asked. He received no response from the feminine voice. He wasn't entirely sure if that voice was trustworthy. Then again, if it was trying to kill him, it was probably just doing it quickly. With no other option in mind, he opened his mouth and drank.

-o-

Kronos held Athena up by the throat as the goddess struggled helplessly against the Titan's grip. The Lord of Time wore a victorious grin on his face. "Did any of you truly believe that you would have a chance? How pathetic. It's so sad it almost brings a tear to my eye." He tossed the Goddess of Wisdom and Battle towards the group of beaten and battered fighters. They glared at the Titan Lord, knowing full well that they were too injured and weak to do anything now. Kronos turned his attention to Typhon. "Continue, my friend."

The Demon of Dread snarled and approached the Lake of Nectar. He cupped a hand and lowered it to scoop up some of the golden liquid. Just as his monstrous hand was about to break through the surface, however, a spiritual pressure that felt just as huge as Typhon's slammed down onto the demon, making him stop in his tracks. Everyone else felt the pressure as well. Their eyes were wide in awe at its sheer intensity.

"W-what is that!?" Kronos stammered in surprise. _This doesn't make any sense! Only Typhon should have a spiritual pressure this immense! Where is it coming from!?_

As if to answer the Titan's question, the center of the lake suddenly exploded into a pillar of clear gold. The divine drink rained back down into the lake, allowing the source of the immense spirit energy to be seen. It was figure wearing a black kimono, like a Soul Reaper's shihakusho. On its torso was a red, chain-like belt that held a huge, cleaver-like sword covered in wraps on its back. The eyes of the onlookers widened in shock.

"You guys look surprised to me," the black-clothed man said with a cocky smirk. "Is it really that big a shock that you can't be happy for me?"

Orihime's eyes were still wet with tears, and her vision was blurred a bit, but she was able to immediately recognize the man just by his voice. "Ichigo?" When she spoke his name, he Flash Stepped over to her. She yelped in surprise, but when she saw that her guess was right, she formed a smile bigger than any she had ever had before. "It is you."

"Yeah," the orange-haired teen replied. He looked at her eyes with a sad smile. "I'm sorry for making you cry like that." He turned around to face Kronos and Typhon. "To make it up to you, I guess I'll beat these guys to a bloody pulp and send them back to hell where they belong." He reached up and drew the cleaver-like sword from his back, the wraps on the blade following his will.

Kronos stared at the Substitute Soul Reaper, completely dumbstruck. "H-how? How could a mere mortal be able to endure the intensity of the Lake of Nectar? What the hell are you!?"

Ichigo's smirk was replaced with his trademark scowl. "Substitute Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki." He held up his sword with both hands. "And this is my zanpakuto, Zangetsu. It's gonna be the sword that takes you down once and for all."

The Titan Lord merely continued to stare at the boy in shock. He sneered and turned to face Typhon. "What are you waiting for, you oaf!? Kill him!" Typhon slowly turned and faced Ichigo, whose cocky smirk returned.

"Big guy first, huh?" he said calmly. "That's cool with me!" With that, he leaped toward the demon's head.

The true final battle had finally begun.

-o-

A/N: I would like to clear something up before somebody complains. Yes, I know the Lake of Nectar is supposed to destroy all mortals who drink from it. In case you haven't noticed, Ichigo's sort of a special case. It would suck if he could be killed off that easily. I'm sure Aizen would've been thrilled if it were so. And before anyone asked, no, I will not be taking Ichigo's powers away again. In this Bleach universe, that whole Xcution thing never happened (mostly because I have no idea what's supposed to happen there). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please look forward to the next one, which will most likely be uploaded some time tomorrow... Man, I need a life.


	49. A Thing of Nightmares

Typhon raised an enormous hand in attempt to swat Ichigo away like a fly. The substitute used a Flash Step and reappeared right next to the demon's head. Ichigo swung his zanpakuto at Typhon's massive cranium, launching a Getsuga Tensho literally into the Demon of Dread's ear. Typhon roared in annoyance at the attack and attempted to swat Ichigo away again.

Ichigo dodged the slow attack and chuckled at the beast. "You're not a very fast learner, are you, big guy?"

Typhon snarled at the orange-haired boy. **"Pathetic human. No mortal creature can ever hope to overcome me. I am Typhon."**

"And I am surprised that something as stupid-looking as you actually knows how to talk," Ichigo taunted the giant. The great beast roared again. This time, however, instead of trying to just smash Ichigo with his hand, a blood-red sphere of energy began forming at the demon's mouth. Ichigo looked at the sphere of power in surprise. "What the hell is that?"

**"Achreío ékri̱xi̱!"** roared Typhon's voice as a focused beam of red spirit energy blasted out of the sphere. The beam was fairly thin. But that was in comparison to its user.

Time seemed to slow down for Ichigo. He pointed his blade directly at the beam. He gripped his right arm with his left hand as the wraps around Zangetsu's grip wrapped around his arm. "Ban…" The red blast enveloped him.

Seeing this, Kronos grinned and laughed. "Do you see now, fools? None but I alone can stand against the might of Typhon! Olympus has-!"

"Kai!" Ichigo's voice interrupted the Titan Lord as a black, katana-like blade actually sliced through Typhon's beam. When Ichigo was once again visible, he held up the black blade that had cut through the attack. "Tensa Zangetsu."

Kronos gawked at the sight, his head cocking to one side in utter shock. One thought crossed his mind as Ichigo and Typhon continued to fight: _I'm going back to Tartarus, aren't I?_

Typhon continued launching blasts of power at the Substitute Soul Reaper at a surprising rate, but Ichigo's bankai-enhanced speed, plus his size (much, _much_ smaller than Typhon), allowed him to evade even faster. "Come on, you oversized garden snake! My idiot dad has better aim and timing than you!" He slashed at one of Typhon's beams, cutting it in half. "Hey, you actually got close that time!"

**"Insolent human," **Typhon boomed angrily. **"Your insults shall be the death of you."** He began charging up another attack. In response, Ichigo reached up to his face with his left hand.

_Here goes,_ he thought as he began gathering his spirit energy. Typhon roared as he unleashed a blast much larger than the others he had been launching. The massive beam flew towards Ichigo with a blind fury. The Substitute Soul Reaper tore his hand away from his face, revealing a Hollow mask that had a pair of vertical red lines running parallel down the face. He gripped his sword with both hands, raised the blade over his head, and began charging black spirit energy. "Getsuga…" He swung the blade down. "Tensho!"

The black shockwave crashed into the red beam, pushing Typhon's attack back at the demon. When Ichigo's attack finally reached Typhon, the demon's head was enveloped in an explosion of dark energy. The Demon of Dread released a genuinely pained roar as he fell back. Kronos's eyes widened in disbelief at what he had just seen and heard.

"Impossible…" he muttered under his breath. He clenched his fists in rage. Suddenly, he was right behind the Hollow-masked Ichigo, his time-rending scythe raised to cut the boy in half. "DIE!"

Just before the scythe could carve Ichigo's body, however, a bright orange shield appeared, deflecting Kronos's unholy blade. The Titan Lord had a baffled look on his face. He couldn't tell because of the mask, but he was pretty certain that Ichigo was smirking at him.

"Thanks, Orihime!" he called down to the redhead. "I owe you one!"

"Just win, Ichigo!" Orihime called back. "I know you can do it!"

Kronos sneered at the mortals. He looked Ichigo in the eyes. Those eyes. Filled such confidence and cockiness. Such arrogance! "You ungrateful wretch! Were it not for me, you would not even exist! You should be kneeling to me! How can you defy destiny!?" He was answered by a chuckle. "What is so funny, boy?"

"Just you," Ichigo said. "You think that just because you're a Titan that you can do whatever you damn well please. Well, news flash, pal: you're dead wrong." The Titan Lord glared at the orange-haired boy hatefully. "You can try and try and try, but no matter how many attempts you make, you can never control someone's destiny. I'm the only one in charge of my fate. Not some pompous windbag with a fancy cape. The same goes for everyone else." He pointed his blade at the Lord of Time. "Face it, Kronos. In truth, you're just a shallow, cowardly little man hiding behind a mask of false power. That's all you are, and it's all you'll ever be."

Kronos's eyes were wide with rage. His fists were trembling with contempt for the audacious boy before him. "How dare you insult me! I am Kronos! I am the King of the Titans! The Lord of Time! I cannot and will not be defeated by a mere human!" He suddenly vanished from view. Following the Titan Lord's spiritual pressure, Ichigo turned to see the Lord of Time standing atop the unconscious form of Typhon.

"What the hell are you up to this time?" Ichigo asked as he prepared his sword.

"Something I should have done from the very beginning!" the Titan answered as he raised his scythe. "I will merge with Typhon!" Everybody's eyes widened at that proclamation.

"You're going to merge with Typhon!?" Athena shouted at the Titan Lord. "That's impossible!"

"Maybe for you lesser beings," Kronos said mockingly. "But not for the master of the Demon of Dread!" He stabbed the blade into Typhon's chest. As the demon roared in pain, the Titan said, "And all I have to give up is what little sanity I have left!"

"You're giving up your sanity!?" Athena shouted in shock.

"He was sane?" Ulquiorra actually deadpanned.

Suddenly, Typhon's entire body was enveloped in a sinister golden energy that had streaks of red and black swirling around it. The spiritual pressure that they all felt from the energy was even more massive than Typhon's, if that was even possible.

As the energy dissipated, they saw a hideous, brutal-looking monstrosity that was even more frightening than Typhon. It looked fairly similar to the demon, but its wings were made of bronze, and its horns stuck out much further forward. Each of its massive fingers ended in clawed tips.

**"Kill…"** the gigantic abomination growled in a grotesque voice. It raised one of its massive hands toward Ichigo. **"Kill… you… all…"**

Ichigo stared at the great, demonic beast in both disgust and awe. He remembered this massive creature from the weird dream he had had the night before all this insanity started, back when he was ignorant of the existence of Greek gods and monsters. He smirked at the monster and said, "Let's finish this once and for all!"

And with that, he charged.

-o-

A/N: Sorry to leave you like this, guys, but I do love my cliffhangers. See you soon. Stay cool ;)


	50. Piercer of Heaven

A/N: I am so sorry, everyone. I know it's no excuse, but I just got the WiiU yesterday, and was binging on it all day. If it's any consolation, I spent a couple of hours last, awake, typing down this story, and it seems fairly long to me. I sincerely hope that it's to your liking.

Oh, and I forgot to do this last time (again):

Translation for the curious:

Achreío ékri̱xi̱: Greek for "Villainous Blast"

-o-

"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo released a large black and red shockwave at the abomination that was once two separate beings. The blast landed right on the beast's ugly face. The monster didn't even flinch.

**"Kill…"** the massive beast growled. It raised its fist and swung it down with impossible speed. Ichigo was just barely able to avoid the attack, having Flash Stepped to the right. He launched another Getsuga with the same effect.

_What the hell is this guy's skin made of?_ Ichigo thought frantically. His attacks weren't doing anything on this behemoth! How could he beat something like this?

He was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts by one of the monster's fists ramming into him from nowhere. The orange-haired teen coughed up blood as he flew toward the ground, spinning like a top. He crashed into the earth, creating a pillar of dirt and debris. When the cloud of earthen matter disappeared, Ichigo stood up slowly, clutching his side as pieces of his mask fell off. That last attack had _hurt_.

"Ichigo!" Orihime shouted to him. "You can do it! Don't give up!"

"This guy's a chump compared to all the guys you've fought before!" he heard Kenpachi yell. "If he kills you, I'll find you in hell and beat you to death!"

The Substitute Soul Reaper nodded and went back into a fighting stance. "In that case, I've got just one more reason to win!" He leaped into the air, charging at the Kronos/Typhon amalgamation with his sword surrounded by the energies of a black Getsuga Tensho, which was charged with much more power than what he had been using.

He released his attack at the monster, who took the blow in the chest. The giant grunted in obvious surprise and some pain. **"Stings…"** The monster opened its mouth and began charging sphere of red energy. **"Achreío ékri̱xi̱!"** A huge beam of blood-red spirit energy flew towards Ichigo, who was too slow to react to faster and larger attack. The blast swallowed him whole.

"Ichigo!" Rukia shouted.

"That's definitely not good!" Renji exclaimed, ever the observant one.

"Don't worry," Orihime said to her friends, who looked at her strangely. "Ichigo has been through tighter situations before. He'll win." She clasped her hands together in prayer-like fashion. "I know he will." The others could only nod in agreement.

As the blast cleared, Ichigo remained standing in the sky, albeit rather heavily wounded and panting. Just the upper right corner of his mask remained, but he himself was still in one piece, thankfully. He glared at the massive monstrosity that had just tried to kill him off.

"You're pretty damn tough," he commented. The demon just growled in response. Ichigo smirked at the beast. "Not very talkative now, are you? Well, that's fine with me!" He launched yet another Getsuga at the giant, who raised a hand to deflect the blast and countered with another red beam of destruction.

Ichigo managed to leap out of the way this time, and he made another charge for Kronos/Typhon's head. The beast roared and threw a huge fist at the Substitute Soul Reaper, who dodged the blow again. However, Ichigo was caught off guard by a second gigantic fist, which crashed into him, knocking him out of the sky.

The orange-haired boy slammed his palm into the air, gaining friction and skidding to a halt. He looked back up at the monster that had just hit him. He panted with his left arm over his chest. It felt like that freak of nature had broken a few of his ribs. He groaned in pain.

_"Ichigo Kurosaki,"_ spoke that strange voice he had heard when he was in the lake. _"You must finish this. You must destroy this abominable excuse for a creature."_

_How exactly?_ he asked.

_"Raise your sword and ready an attack. I shall do the rest."_ The sound of that feminine voice vanished again. Having no other option, Ichigo raised his sword and began charging a Getsuga. His blade was quickly enveloped in black energy.

As Athena watched this happen, she noticed something over the lake. A strange, ethereal light glowed over the golden water. The light slowly made its way into Ichigo's black-bladed sword. From the spiritual pressure that she felt, he was… "No way…"

"What?" Byakuya asked the goddess. "What is happening?"

"Ichigo is absorbing massive amounts of power from the lake!" Everybody's eyes widened at the revelation. Athena suddenly became grim. "It's still not enough though."

"Huh?" Renji said in a dumbfounded tone. "But isn't that lake packed with unreal amounts of divine power?"

"Yes," Athena said with a nod. "But there's only so much of it that he can take in."

"Maybe," said a weak, familiar voice. All turned to see Zeus awake again, albeit still heavily wounded. "But there is a way for him to take in more."

"Wha- Father?" Athena shouted as she hugged the king. "You're okay!"

Zeus held his daughter, but his face was grim. "We may celebrate my survival later. Right now, we must act." Zeus looked up at Ichigo. "We must all allow him to take some of our power. If it is done right, this might just be the last time any of us see Kronos or Typhon." Just as the others were about to respond, Zeus raised a hand. "However, this is not without risk. If this fails, we may all die. Even us gods." Silence followed. At that last revelation, everyone hesitated.

Finally, Orihime stepped forward. "I'll do it." Everybody looked at the red-haired girl with wide eyes as she faced them. "Ichigo's done things way crazier than this before. He's fought people that were just as tough as that monster, if not tougher, but he's never truly done it alone. He's always had us, his friends, behind him, always ready to help him. Why should any of us back out now, when everyone in the whole world is at risk?"

Everybody nodded silently. None of them looked ready to turn away. Zeus gave an acknowledging nod. "I shall contact all the Olympians who are still on our side. It should be more than enough to finish this quarrel."

All heads nodded. Orihime turned to look up at Ichigo. "Let's do this!"

Up in the air, Ichigo continued charging his attack. For some reason, it felt as though it were growing stronger by the second. Much stronger than he could've made it, and that was really saying something. Suddenly, that woman's voice appeared again.

_"Ichigo,"_ it said. _"Your friends are granting you their strength. The loyal Olympians and sparing you the power they have left. All of these energies, combined with your own and that of the Lake of Nectar, are more than enough."_ The voice paused. _"Now unleash it all."_

He needed no further motivation. He could see the Kronos/Typhon combo charging yet another red blast of death. The orange-haired teen gritted his teeth as the gigantic demon's attack went flying at him.

"Getsuga…" He swung his blade down with both hands. "TENSHO!"

An enormous black shockwave collided with a stream of red destruction. The shockwave wasn't even phased by the attack, and simply absorbed the energy within. Ichigo's attack slammed into the chest of the monster, who roared in pain… and was suddenly enveloped in an explosion of black spirit energy, swallowing it whole.

The demon's excruciating roar could be heard even in the other worlds. The people of the human world looked around in confusion. The Hollows of Hueco Mundo actually stopped killing each other for as long as that roar was heard. In the Soul Society, Yamamoto raised an eyebrow. The old Soul Reaper mentally cursed at Zeus as he asked his lieutenant to get him some more aspirin.

Ichigo panted from the exertion from the attack he had just unleashed. It was _way_ too powerful to be a regular Getsuga Tensho, but it was definitely not Final Getsuga that he had learned in order to defeat Aizen. He looked at the ridiculously huge cloud of smoke as it cleared away. The monster stood motionless, its face frozen in pain and utter shock. Soon, its body cracked and began to fall apart like stacked rubble. The form that was once an enormous, demonic abomination was replaced with Kronos, who was covered in so many wounds that it would've been impossible to identify him without his silver hair and entirely golden eyes.

The Titan Lord opened his mouth to speak, but before he could do or say anything, he fell to earth, crashing into the ground and creating a small crater. Ichigo descended slowly to the ground, the remaining chunk of his Hollow mask fading away. When he made contact with the ground, he glared at the motionless form of Kronos. The Substitute Soul Reaper had to resist the urge to spit on the Lord of Time right there. He wouldn't give the bastard the honor.

"Ichigo!" yelled a familiar voice. He turned just in time to see Orihime jump into his arms and hug him. She looked up at his warm, brown eyes. Feeling her cheeks turning red, she lowered her face a little and said, "I can't tell you how happy I am that this is all over. And I'm even happier that you're okay." She paused for a minute. "You _are_ okay, right?"

"I'm fine, Orihime," he assured her with one of his exceedingly rare warm smiles. "It's nothing I haven't been through before." He put his hand on her chin and pulled her head up. "You don't have to feel embarrassed about blushing, Orihime. I always thought that you looked kind of cute whenever you did that."

Orihime's eyes widened when he said that. "So… what Kronos said before… about your… feelings for me? That was…?" She let the question hang in the air.

Ichigo chuckled. "Yeah. It is, Orihime." He was just about to actually say those three special words when somebody cleared their throat. The two turned to see everybody staring at them. Ichigo felt just a little bit uncomfortable. "Um… hi."

He saw Rukia stifle a laugh before she said, "How about you two lovebirds wait until you have some actual privacy before you start getting mushy again?" Ichigo glared at her, his good mood ruined.

"I hate you so much sometimes," he told the petite girl. That only made her actually laugh.

"Enough," called out Zeus's voice. The King of the Gods was being kept on his feet by Athena, who had finally reverted to her human form. "Save whatever strength you have left for tomorrow." He gave them all a huge grin. "For tomorrow, we celebrate this victory. And you are all our guests of honor."

"What about this guy?" asked Yachiru, who was currently poking Kronos's unconscious form with a random stick she had found. "Can Kenny I keep him as a training dummy?"

Zeus stared at the girl, utterly dumbfounded. "Er… no. He must be sent back to Tartarus, where he belongs for all eternity." With that, he dismissed the non-Olympians, who all left, with Ichigo and Orihime walking hand-in-hand. The sight made him smile a little. He then turned his attention back to his dead-looking, crook of a father. "Athena, please help me dispose of that piece of trash."

-o-

A/N: If the Ichihime moment in this chapter seemed sort of lackluster, then I'm sorry. Romance isn't really my specialty. But I genuinely tried with it. Again, I'm sorry for the wait. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!


	51. Gifts from Olympus, Part I

A/N: I had originally intended to end the story here, but couldn't. I decided to split this chapter into two or three parts... mostly because I just didn't like the idea of ending this at chapter 51. I just don't like that number for some reason. I guess I'm just a little OCD or something. Anyway, this chapter is kind of short, but I hope you like it anyway.

-o-

The next day was just one huge party, "huge" being used lightly. Just about everyone at Olympus was celebrating in their own way. Some fought for sport (Kenpachi and Yachiru winning several bouts), while others danced to music that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. The gods had even somehow set up a buffet table that had to at least fifty feet long overnight. Renji and Chad had to hold Ichigo back from attacking the ambrosia platter at the end of the table.

Ulquiorra stood out and away from the crowd, simply observing everything as it happened. This type of scene definitely wasn't to his tastes. Sure, he didn't want to have a dull life, but he didn't really enjoy parties. He turned and began walking, but stopped when he heard a calm voice call him. He turned to see Hades approaching him.

"I have been looking for you," the god said. "I have come to personally thank you for defeating the traitor Thanatos. That was certainly no easy task, I assume."

"I have handled difficult things such as that before, sir," Ulquiorra answered. "It was the least I could do after you returned me to humanity." The Lord of the Underworld nodded.

"That is an admirable, albeit sometimes dangerous mindset." The god and the former Arrancar were silent for a moment. "I have a proposition for you. A thank you gift of sorts, though it is one that entails much responsibility." Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow. "It is no small feat to have defeated the God of Death. And Thanatos's betrayal has shown that he is no longer trustworthy to hold his position."

"What are saying?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Ulquiorra Schiffer." Hades gave the ex-Espada a serious look. "I am asking you to become the new God of Death."

"What?" the former Arrancar asked with wide eyes. Had he heard the deity right?

"It is an offer that you can turn down if you so wish. Should you deny it, I will find another. Though, in all honesty, I sincerely hope that you accept." The god turned and began walking away, but stopped a few feet away. "Persephone, Cerberus, and I will be leaving by tomorrow morn. Meet us in front of the palace gates with your answer then." With that, the Lord of the Underworld left, leaving Ulquiorra with the rest.

-o-

Khione was in a good mood. After everything calmed down, Rukia had pleaded the Goddess of Snow's case to the council, and had managed to get some lenience. The goddess's punishment was to spend the next fifty years in Olympus, and was not allowed to leave until those five decades were up, or if there is an emergency that demands the Goddess of Snow's presence. She wasn't really too bothered by it. She was just grateful that the council had been able to listen to her and Rukia's reasoning. The other traitors, Ares included, were all stripped of their titles and banished from Olympus.

She was now in the crowd, her once emotionless expression replaced with one of kindhearted warmth. Ironic, considering the fact that she supposed to be more coldhearted than even Hades. She was just happy that all had been forgiven.

As she drank from a silver goblet filled with nectar, she heard a man's voice calling her name. she turned and saw the still-shirtless Poseidon. The sight of his toned body made her blush and she turned away from him.

"Khione," she heard him say. She turned to face him, her reddened cheeks made obvious by her pale skin. The Lord of the Sea opened his mouth to say something, but closed it just as quickly. When he apparently had a thought-out sentence in mind, he spoke. "It's been a while since anyone's seen any emotion in you. That's probably my fault."

"Well," she said with an angry look on her face, though her blush remained. "You did marry another woman after all those days and nights we spent together. After all those times you told me that you loved me, you married someone else. Then I gave birth to _your_ son, and was forced to throw him into the ocean."

Poseidon hung his head in shame, a sad smile on his face. "Yeah. I guess I should've come to you and told you about that wedding. If it's any consolation, I never really cared for Amphitrite the same way I care for you."

Khione raised an eyebrow at him. "Then why did you marry her?"

"Because Zeus ordered it. He said that only a sea goddess should be allowed to become the Queen of the Sea. He wouldn't listen to any other argument, regardless of how I put it." Khione's expression went from angry to sad at Poseidon's explanation. She had never once considered the possibility that it was an order for the sea god to marry Amphitrite.

"Does all that mean that you took care of Eumolpus, like I asked you to?"

Poseidon smirked. "What kind of man do you take me for? When someone makes a prayer to the sea, I always listen." He then whistled. A young man with dark hair and icy blue eyes approached them from the crowd. He was well-built, with a lean, yet muscular form. His skin was tanned to just a few shades lighter than Poseidon, who placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Khione, this is Eumolpus. Eumolpus, this is your mother, Khione, the Goddess of Snow."

"My mother?" the young man said with wide eyes.

"Eumolpus?" Khione said, just as surprised as the boy.

Poseidon chuckled at their reactions. "I'm sorry for keeping you two apart for so long. I was never able to bring you two together again." He looked up to the sky and sighed. "Well, I'd best be off. Amphitrite will really let me have it if she finds out that I'm spending time with my ex." He turned and began to walk away. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his arm, and was pulled into a group hug with Khione and their son. He seemed a little uncomfortable at first, but soon let his worries leave him. he was with his true family now.


	52. Gifts from Olympus, Part II

A/N: Uploaded a bit later than usual, but once again, I was binging on the WiiU. Assassin's Creed 3 is f**king epic. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

-o-

Byakuya was walking through the celebrating crowd, calm and stoic as ever. He was actually happy that Olympus had survived and that the Titans had been stopped. He was especially glad to hear that Ares, Deimos, and that bastard Phobos had been stripped of their ranks and powers and banished. Despite his joy at the news, he remained as he always was in any other situation.

"Byakuya," said a woman's voice. Just ahead of him stood a smiling and blushing Aphrodite. "Hey! I've been looking for you! I hope you're enjoying this huge party. I'm going to guess that it's way bigger than any you've ever seen. We Olympians tend to go overboard when we're celebrating."

"So I've noticed," Byakuya said, his tone a bit warmer than usual. "I haven't been to very many parties in my lifetime, but none of the celebrations I've been to could even come close to this scale."

Aphrodite smiled at the Soul Reaper as she shyly hung her head. "Um… Byakuya? Do you think that we could talk? I mean, in private?"

"If you insist."

-o-

She led him into the palace, to her room. Byakuya was a bit reluctant to enter, but soon followed the goddess. Aphrodite motioned for him to sit next to her on the bed, and again, he was reluctant to do so, but she sort of pressured him into it.

The Goddess of Love and Beauty looked thoughtful for a few moments, then spoke. "There're a few things that I want to talk to you about, but first, I want to say… thank you." Byakuya was silent. "You protected me when no one else would. You stood up for me, and even risked your life for my sake. You were actually the first person to ever do something like that for me."

"I don't think I understand," Byakuya admitted truthfully. "No one tried to protect you? Why would that be?"

Aphrodite sighed sadly. "Ares was right about one thing: I've been in more relationships and affairs than I care to admit." She chuckled a little. "And considering that I'm immortal, that's really saying something." Her expression saddened again. "I guess everybody else just thought that I dump Ares and find someone else. I even tried that once. It quickly became the first time he hit me. Since then, every time I made him angry, whether it was my fault or not, and regardless of whether it was intentional or accidental, he would…" She let the sentence hang in the air. Byakuya didn't need her to finish. He knew what she was saying.

"All the more reason for him to have been given the most severe penalty an immortal can receive," Byakuya said, intentionally avoiding calling Ares a god. "But now you're free of him. You can have whomever you want now."

"That's the problem, Byakuya," the goddess said as she leaned against the Soul Reaper captain's shoulder. "You're the only one I want – no, _need_. I don't want or need anybody but you." Byakuya looked at with obvious surprise, to which the goddess giggled. "You're brave, smart, surprisingly kind, and the fact that you're one of the handsome men I've ever seen doesn't hurt either. And trust me when I say that that's saying a lot. I've known enough men in my lifetime to know what I'm talking about."

Byakuya just continued to stare at her. He couldn't help but admit to himself that Aphrodite was one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes on. She was also kind and out-going, with a heart as warm, open, and welcoming as a campfire. Just like Hisana.

Finally, he said, "I would be lying if I said that I don't feel the same way about you, Aphrodite." Now it was the goddess's turn to look surprised. "To be honest, since the day I met you, you were on my mind constantly. At first, I thought it was just because of a sense of justice. I wanted to get you away from Ares so that he could no longer wrong you." He paused for a minute, thinking on what he should say next. "But… after I defeated Phobos, and when you… kissed me, I felt… different about my reasoning."

"Different how?" the goddess asked somewhat nervously. Her heart was beating against her chest like madman trying to break out of solitary confinement. She had never felt shy or nervous around a man before. That was how she knew that Byakuya was… the one.

"I know what I said after the kiss," Byakuya continued. "That I couldn't love another, because my heart still belonged to Hisana. But in truth, I didn't yet know how I truly felt about… you." He put a hand up to his chest, over his heart. "Truthfully, there is a part of me that could never love anyone but Hisana. But…" He looked at Aphrodite with… a warm, loving smile. "There is also a part of me that couldn't bear to be apart from you."

They locked eyes then, deep grey gazing into shining blue. They both leaned in toward each other, their minds becoming oblivious to everything but the person in front of them. In seconds that felt like hours, their lips met. They were both with the one they loved.

-o-

Arachne was lying back on a bed in a prison cell. It wasn't her ideal place to hang out, but at least she wasn't executed on the spot. She thought that, since she was human and powerless again, the gods wouldn't be as severe with her as they were with the Titans and the Olympians that had betrayed their brethren. That was her hope at least.

She sighed in boredom. Not much to do with your time when you're locked in a cage except sleep and maybe do some exercise. She had gotten plenty of sleep already, and didn't really feel like working up a sweat anytime soon. To her, this was actually a worse punishment than death.

"Maybe I should've asked for the death penalty," she mumbled to herself.

"But then who would antagonize me so expertly?" said a familiar, female voice. Arachne sat up and looked to see Athena standing just outside of the cell, her arms crossed.

"Well, if it isn't Miss Know-It-All," Arachne said in a snide tone of voice. "Visiting your favorite inmate while she's rotting in prison, are you? If you're here to see me starve to death, you're a little early. I hope you don't mind waiting a few days."

Athena actually laughed at that. "No. I'm actually here to see if I can strike a deal with you."

The former seamstress snorted at that. "Don't make me laugh. You and I both know that I would never make a deal with you. The first bet I made with you was the last I ever made with anyone."

"I'm truly sorry for what I did, Arachne. I was a different person then. Nowadays, I focus entirely on my library. I stopped weaving a long time ago."

"According to that old man, your shroud was perfect. Why would you quit weaving if you were perfect at it?"

"Because I wasn't perfect," the goddess said seriously. Arachne gave her a look of surprise. "Not even gods are capable of perfection. That elder said that the shroud I made was 'beautiful.' I was the arrogant one back then. Just because you claimed to be better than the gods, I called you out. I called you the arrogant one, and cursed you for saying something when under heavy emotion." The goddess took a deep breath… and bowed. "And for all of that, I am deeply sorry."

Arachne stared at Athena in a mix of shock, bewilderment, and amazement. Did Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom and Battle, the person who cast that curse on Arachne, really just _bow and apologize_? The former seamstress looked away, thinking about what she had just heard from the goddess. "What deal did you have in mind?"

Athena rose again, and said, "I'll speak on your behalf to let you go free. But in return, you'll have to work for me for a while."

"Work? For you? You do realize that I'm not exactly a big fan of yours, right?"

"I'm aware of that. But the job that I have in mind for you is a task that I think you'll enjoy doing." The goddess didn't specify on what the job was. She was waiting for Arachne to ask.

"Okay, I'll bite. What is it?"

Athena gave the former seamstress a grin. "You're to be my personal seamstress. You're weave new outfits and décor for me whenever I ask. That's the deal."

Arachne once again gave the goddess a look that could only be described as "baffled beyond words." Was she dreaming? Was this just some hallucination brought on by the horrible food that she had been served earlier? What the hell was going on?

"Are you serious?" she asked, still utterly amazed by the offer. "But can't you just make your own stuff? I mean, you're actually better at weaving than me."

"Well," Athena said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I suppose I could just let you stay down here in this dingy old prison forever if you really want to. It's clearly five-star compared to the palace."

Arachne sighed in defeat. "Okay, fine. You've got a deal. Just get me out of this cell."

"Don't worry," Athena assured her. "Your official trial is tomorrow. You'll be out then, and I'll vouch for you, as promised." With that, she turned and left, quickly escaping the former seamstress's line of sight.

Arachne went back to her somewhat uncomfortable bed and laid herself down again. She replayed the conversation she had just had with Athena through her mind a few times. Maybe the Goddess of Wisdom and Battle wasn't as bad as she had made her out to be. She chuckled to herself.

"She's still a bitch though."


	53. Gifts from Olympus, Part III

The morning after the celebration, in the Hall of the Gods, the gods and the non-Olympians waited silently for Byakuya and Aphrodite to arrive. Rukia had a somewhat worried expression. It wasn't like Byakuya to be late for anything, whether it was important or menial. She was just about to excuse herself so that she could go search for her brother when the doors to the hall suddenly opened. Byakuya and Aphrodite stepped in… with the Goddess of Love and Beauty holding onto the Soul Reaper captain's right arm lovingly. Everybody who knew Byakuya personally gawked at the sight. None of the Olympians seemed all that surprised.

"Uh… Byakuya?" Ichigo said, his face contorted into a dumbstruck expression. "You've got a woman on your arm."

"I am aware of that," Byakuya said as though it were completely normal. He turned to face Aphrodite. "You'd best get to your throne now."

"Right," the goddess said as she reluctantly let go of his arm. She went over to her personal throne and took a seat, smiling absent-mindedly.

When Byakuya joined the group on humans and Soul Reapers, Rukia asked, "Brother, what was that about?"

"I'll explain later, Rukia," he said stoically as Zeus cleared his throat.

"Well, now that everyone is here," he said. He was blatantly ignoring what had just happened. "We may now begin. To all of you mortal beings who aided us in protecting our home, we Olympians give you our sincerest thanks. Were it not for you, Olympus would have fallen, and all things would have come to an end. For this, we are eternally grateful." All the other gods either whooped in agreement or gave singular nods of acknowledgement. "As thanks for all you have done, we have prepared special rewards as symbols of our gratitude."

"Rewards?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"Yes," Zeus confirmed. "First, Kenpachi Zaraki." The violent captain perked up at the mention of his name. "You single-handedly defeated the traitor Ares, the God of War. For this, we shall grant you his title. Should you accept, you will become the new God of War." Kenpachi gave a baffled look. He obviously never saw that coming. "What say you?"

"Let get this straight," Kenpachi said as he tried to make sense of things. "You want me to become the God of War? Sorry, but I think that that would make my fights a little boring."

Athena cleared her throat. "Though you will technically be immortal, as the God of War, you can still be killed in battle. The only forms of death that you'll be immune to are sickness, accidents, aging, etc."

Kenpachi grinned at that, while everyone else but Yachiru trembled at the thought of an immortal Kenpachi Zaraki. "Fair enough. But only if Yachiru gets to reap the same benefits."

"Very well," Zeus said with an agreeable nod. "Moving on. Byakuya Kuchiki-"

"Excuse me," Byakuya said in as polite a tone as possible. Zeus gave him a slightly annoyed look, but let it pass. "I would prefer to make a request." Aphrodite looked giddy as a school girl all of a sudden.

"What is it that you request?" Zeus asked, his curiosity genuine.

Byakuya eyed his fellow Soul Reapers with shockingly obvious nervousness. He took a deep breath. "I would like to ask for Aphrodite's hand in marriage." Normally, dead silence would've followed, but the mentioned goddess wouldn't allow that. She literally leaped off of her seat and jumped into Byakuya's arms.

"Please, Zeus?" she asked with her best do-what-I-want face.

The King of the Gods had been caught completely off guard by the Soul Reaper's request (not nearly as much as those who actually knew Byakuya, though). When he regained his cool, he chuckled lightly. "Very well. As the King of Olympus, I shall give you both my blessings to wed whenever you feel the time is right."

"Thank you, Lord Zeus," Byakuya said with a grateful bow.

When Aphrodite let go of her new fiancé and returned to her seat (and the others got over the initial shock caused by what had just happened), Zeus continued. "Ulquiorra Schiffer." The former Arrancar stepped forward silently. "Hades has already made an offer to you. Have you come to a decision?"

Everybody watched the ex-Espada in surprise. Nobody else knew of Hades' offer because Ulquiorra hadn't talked about it with anyone. He was silent for a few more moments before speaking. "Hades offered the position of God of Death to me for defeating Thanatos. And I have come to a decision." He turned and began walking away, his destination being the palace gates where Hades awaited him. He stopped before leaving the room. He could feel everybody staring at him. "I will accept his offer." With that, he left.

Ichigo was the first to speak after several silent moments. "I guess we won't be seeing him again for a while."

"Not until the day you die," Zeus said solemnly. "For now though, we move to the next gift. With Toshiro Hitsugaya as the ambassador for the Soul Society, we shall sign a treaty that will bind our two worlds. When one needs aid, the other shall step forward to help."

Toshiro gave a single nod of appreciation.

"And now, our final gift." The non-Olympians faced Zeus with serious expressions. "Ichigo Kurosaki. You vanquished not just the Titan Lord Kronos, but the Dread Demon Typhon as well. And while they were merged to near invincibility, no less. Clearly, the only reward worthy of such a feat is our greatest gift." The King of the Gods rose from his throne. "Should you accept, you may become a god."

Ichigo's eyes widened at the offer. Had he heard Zeus right? Was he really just offered godhood? He thought about it for several tense seconds. He could feel his friends staring at him expectantly, awaiting his answer. Instinctively, he looked over to Orihime, who was looking at him sadly. He turned his attention back to Zeus. "Is there a catch if I accept?"

"The only 'catch' is that you will be bound by the Divine Laws that govern all of existence," the king explained. "You will not be allowed to harm mortals except in a case of retribution, should someone anger you. You will be immortal, and have access to even greater power, but at limited intervals of time. Immortals can only maintain their true forms for a few minutes at a time. Furthermore, you will not be allowed to intervene directly in mortal affairs. This is by far one of our most important laws. We cannot have mortals depending on us too much. Otherwise, the universal balance will be toppled. Beyond those restrictions, you would be free to do as you please."

Ichigo took all that into account. If he accepted, he would be immortal and much more powerful. But he would be unable to really do anything without a middleman of some sort. He took a deep breath, clenching his fists, and said, "Sorry, but I'm gonna have to say no."

Zeus gave an obviously baffled expression before saying, "You… refuse? That would be the first time anyone has ever declined an offer like that. Why?"

"There're a few reasons, really," the orange-haired teen said as he scratched his head. "First of all, I wouldn't be able to protect the people that I care about without breaking some stupid rule. I don't like sending in someone to do something that I could easily do myself. Second, immortality sounds all fine and dandy on paper, but what about my friends and family? They'll all age and inevitably die while I continue living on forever. Third, it would take all the excitement out of life."

"Excitement?" Zeus asked, clearly confused.

"Yeah. The best part about a story is knowing that there's an ending. That's what makes life so exciting. And besides that, in my time as a Substitute Soul Reaper, I've learned that death isn't an ending. It's just the start of a new, more exciting story."

The gods all looked utterly dumbfounded by Ichigo's explanation. None of them could believe that anybody would ever turn down the opportunity to become a god. It came as quite the shock to their systems. Soon, however, a hearty laugh penetrated the air. Apparently, Poseidon thought that the looks on the faces of his fellow gods were by far the funniest thing he had ever seen in his millennia of living.

Zeus chuckled. "You speak honestly, boy. But you are the hero of Olympus."

"I never really wanted to be a hero, really," Ichigo said with his own chuckle. "I've just always done what I thought was right. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Still, there must be something we could do to repay you for what you have done."

"All I'm gonna ask for is a way home. I don't need anything else."

Zeus nodded. "Very well. Your path home shall be ready by tomorrow afternoon. This meeting is adjourned. Kenpachi Zaraki, you will have to remain here for the ceremony that will grant you true godhood."

And with that, all but Kenpachi, Yachiru, and the Olympians left the room. When the doors closed, Orihime gave Ichigo a tight hug. The Substitute Soul Reaper gave the girl a surprised look.

"Thank you for staying as you are, Ichigo," she said happily. "I don't think I could love you any other way."

"Don't worry, Orihime. I won't let myself change anytime soon. Besides, being mortal with you is a way better deal than living forever alone." Orihime gave him a grateful smile and pulled away from the hug. "So, do you want to go on our first date here in Olympus, or wait until we get home?"

"Waiting is boring," she said in response. The two of them then headed off together.

Rukia turned to face Byakuya. "Brother, could you explain what happened back in the Hall of the Gods? Why do you suddenly want to marry Aphrodite?"

"Suffice it to say," Byakuya replied. "I'm not totally devoid of emotion." With that he walked away. Rukia could've sworn that she had seen a blush on his face just before he turned.

-o-

Ulquiorra arrived at the palace gates, where he saw Hades, Persephone, and the three-headed hellhound Cerberus waiting for him. Hades stepped forward and said, "I take it you have come to a decision?"

"Yes," the ex-Espada replied. "I accept your offer. How soon does my new role begin?"

"Immediately. It is a very important duty. Your task is similar to that of a Soul Reaper. You are to lead lost souls to the afterlife and exorcise malevolent spirits."

"By 'malevolent spirits,' I can only assume that you mean Hollows."

"Is that a problem?"

"Of course not."

"Then let us go."

"All right!" Persephone said with a cheerful grin. "Let's go home!" To that, Cerberus barked happily with each mouth as he wagged his serpentine tail. Ulquiorra took one final look at the Olympian Palace as he and the others were enveloped in black flames.

-o-

Death is not something to feared. Death itself is a living thing. It has purpose, as with all other forms of life. Instead, when the time finally comes, one must embrace Death, and leave as equals, for that is how Death looks at us all: we are all equal.


	54. Farewell

A/N: I'm not gonna lie, this is kind of bittersweet. This is the last chapter in this story. I know a lot of you probably wish that I would just keep on with this story forever, but unfortunately, all things must come to an end. Enjoy.

-o-

Yoruichi stood before the grave that she had dug for Lycaon, the wolf pack sitting behind her, patiently awaiting her command. She offered several prayers for the man she loved, knowing full-well that she would never see him again. That thought alone had depressed her to no end, and she tried to avoid thinking it. She failed miserably. She placed a hand on the stone that marked Lycaon's final resting place, smiling sadly.

"Looks like it's time for me to go," she said quietly. "I promise I'll come back." She turned around and began walking away, the wolves following her lead. She stopped for a minute, not looking back. "Goodbye, Puppy-Dog." With that, she and the wolves left the site. She was unable to fight off the single tear that trailed off of her eye.

-o-

Byakuya and Aphrodite had spent the night together, as they did on the night of the post-war celebration. They were now enjoying breakfast together, talking about their eventual wedding. They had agreed that they get married in about five months, which gave them plenty of time to plan ahead. After a few minutes, Byakuya pointed something out.

"One of us will have to move," he said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"Oh, yeah," Aphrodite replied. She put a finger to her chin. "I hadn't thought about that. I guess I was too excited about the wedding to think about much else. I guess I'll move in with you, Byakuya."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course!" She gave him one those big smiles of hers that he loved to see so much. "There's not really much for me here except attend boring old meetings, so I don't mind. Besides, I don't care where I am, as long as you're there." She leaned up against him with a loving smile. She suddenly perked up then. "Oh! If we ever have kids, what would we name them?"

Byakuya gave her a slightly confused look. "Don't you think you're getting a little ahead of yourself?"

The goddess shrugged, still smiling. "What can I say? I like to plan ahead."

Byakuya actually chuckled at that. "I suppose it couldn't hurt." They spent their time together, talking about their future together, until it was time for Byakuya to leave. They left the hall together, with Aphrodite refusing to let go of her fiancé's arm.

-o-

Ichigo and Orihime sat under a tree near the Senkaimon-like gate that would send them back home. They had spent most of their time together, mostly just enjoying being near one another. Ichigo had his arm around Orihime's shoulder, and Orihime leaned up against the orange-haired boy that she loved so much. At first, she couldn't believe that he actually returned her feelings. The fact that he sent death glares to anybody who tried to get an eyeful of her, and the fact that he seemed to always get angry whenever he found out that somebody was hitting on her hadn't really registered to her as him loving her. She had always thought that he was just being protective of a friend, sort of like how Tatsuki had always acted as her self-appointed bodyguard.

"I wish every day could be like this," she said with a happy sigh. "It's so peaceful. And the sky looks so pretty."

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed with a small smile. "If only more people thought that way. The world would definitely be a better place."

She perked up and gave him one of those looks that told him that she was going to explain something Orihime-style. "But, Ichigo, if everybody thought that way, there would be no real creativity in the world! And without creativity, people will get really, really bored and-"

"All right, all right," he said with a chuckle. He thought that it was kind of cute how she would sometimes get carried away with her explanations. "I get it. It was just a thought." With that, they sat in delightful silence again. At least until that quiet was interrupted.

"Ichigo! Orihime!" called Rukia's voice. "Come on, you guys! It's time to go!"

"Okay!" Orihime called back to small Soul Reaper. "We'll be there in a minute!" She returned her attention to Ichigo. "Let's get going, Ichigo. We don't want to keep the others waiting."

"Right." And with that, they headed off.

-o-

At the Senkaimon that would take them home, they were reunited with Perseus. The Greek hero explained that he was to take everyone back through the gateway, as he had when they first came to Olympus.

"Hey, where were you and those other guys during the battle?" Ichigo inquired.

"We fought a few hordes of monsters, and when the enemy retreated, we had to ensure that the civilians were safe. Not everybody here at Olympus is a god or a legendary hero, you know." Ichigo nodded, accepting the explanation. Perseus then clapped his hands, getting everybody's attention. "Well, folks, I hope you enjoyed your stay. Aside from the blood-thirsty monsters, traitorous gods, and psychotic Titans trying to kill you, I can only assume that it was a very relaxing and enlightening trip!" Everyone sweat-dropped at that.

_He makes it sound like we were here on vacation,_ Ichigo thought snidely.

Perseus went over to the gateway and chanted a few lines in Greek. "Ánoigma, pýli̱ tou chília monopátia!" When he spoke, the arching gates were filled with golden energy and became the portal that take them back to the human world. Perseus scratched the back of his head. "I've never been one for long goodbyes, so I'll just take my leave now. I guess I'll see guys some other time." With that, he left them.

One at a time, they went through the gate, with Yoruichi going through with the wolf pack, then Renji, then Byakuya, then Rukia, and so on. Eventually, only Ichigo and Orihime were left. Ichigo looked over to his girlfriend, took her hand in his, and said, "You ready, Orihime?"

"Yep!" she said with a cheerful smile. "Let's go home. I bet Tatsuki and the others are worried sick about us."

"I'll bet." At that last statement, they went through the gate together, leaving Olympus behind.

-o-

Stripped of rank, title, and power, and then banished from Olympus. Ares didn't think things could possibly get any worse for him. He was currently in some dingy old apartment in one of the less friendly neighborhoods of New York City, drinking himself into a coma. Barely two days, and the floor around him was already littered with empty bottles and beer cans.

He kept cursing out loud, not caring if his idiotic neighbors heard him, and caring even less when somebody threatened to call the cops if he didn't shut up. That bastard mortal, Keenpacky or whatever, was the one he blamed for his misfortune.

"Damn Soul Reaper," he muttered as he took yet another swig of alcohol. "I swear I'll kill him. I'll kill him dead."

"How disgraceful," said a smooth, whispering voice. It was like nails on a chalkboard. Ares didn't have to look to see who it was. He already knew. He could never forget the chill in the air that followed the newcomer. "Has the God of War truly depraved himself to the point where he is no longer fit to be called a god?"

"Watch what you say, skinny," Ares replied. "I'm still strong enough to beat you senseless. Besides, haven't you heard? I'm not the God of War anymore. I'm just some hopeless drunk named Aaron Smith now."

"Well, _Mr. Smith_," the newcomer said in a taunting tone. "I think you will be very pleased to hear that this has yet to end."

"Yeah, yeah," Ares said, waving his hand dismissively. "Judging by the fact that the world hasn't spontaneously combusted, I'm guessing your boss hasn't found his kid yet."

"My master knows where the child is. It is simply too soon to jump into anything just yet. My lord would be most displeased if we were to ruin his plans. You do remember your part, do you not?"

"I remember." Ares stood and stretched himself, letting a few cracking noises be heard. He turned to face the second man in his apartment. An unnaturally tall and thin man, wearing a black business suit. His arms were held behind his back. His most disturbing feature, however, was his _lack_ of features.

"Very good of you." Had he been anyone else, the man would've grinned then. Everything was going exactly as his master had planned. All they needed now was time.

-o-

A/N: Ominous ending! Before anyone asks, yes, I'm planning on a sequel. I have no idea when it's coming, though, so please just be patient.

I want to thank everybody who read this story, and I want to give special thanks to:

Devil's-Butterfly-Maid, who reviewed literally every chapter in this story

Somerlia, for her funny reviews and good questions that made me feel smart

BladeOfThePoet, for just being awesome and checking out this story when I asked him to

Now then, before I leave you, I have one final announcement: I present to you folks a challenge! Take Bleach and mash it up with any type of mythology. It can more Greek myths, Egyptian, Norse, anything you can think of. If you wish to accept this challenge, then go ahead and PM me when you have your first chapter out, and I'll leave a review! This is Lord Lycaon signing off and saying, "Stay cool, my readers!"


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